Into Fire and Into Ice
by Undying Soul98
Summary: Another Fool steps into the ring and starts his own ever-winding journey to seek the depths of the Labyrinth. But some things are best left unlearnt, and all Dreamers eventually… (Persona/Multicross SI)
1. Chapter 1

**Into Fire and Into Ice**

 **Summary: Another Fool steps into the ring and starts his own ever-winding journey to seek the depths of the Labyrinth. But some things are best left unlearnt, and all Dreamers eventually…**

 **AN- oh look. Another pretty little plot bunny emerges to make itself known and distract me from present projects. Oh look, enough has been written that I really have no reason to** _ **not**_ **publish what I have. Oh look, its probs gonna be another big one.**

… **pfth. Finishing things. My spirit animal may just be a Ryuugi. Enjoy?**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing of anything.**

 **Chapter 1**

The darkness was all consuming and silent. It wrapped around me like a blanket. Almost numbly, I realised that I was dreaming. I wasn't sure when I'd fallen asleep, or for how long I'd been here, but that wasn't important. No. I opened my eyes, and in the distance, I saw a painful glow and realised it to be light.

A blue butterfly fluttered away from me, moving almost sporadically. It was far away, to such a degree that it was only a speck, but it grew closer by the second, until eventually I was only meters away from it.

I continued to watch it, wondering whether my subconscious was having a joke with me about butterflies dreaming of being people.

Finally, it landed on my open palm. It studied me curiously for a moment, before fluttering away with great haste into the engulfing darkness.

With a voiceless cry I lunged out for it, unwilling to be alone like this, but it was already gone.

I had no clue how long I waited, hoping for it to come back, before my eyes slid shut once more, and I waited for the dream to end.

XXXXXXXXXX

I knew for a fact that I had just woken up, and yet for the life of me, I couldn't help but feel that I was still fast asleep. I hadn't even opened my eyes yet, and I already knew these weren't my ordinary surroundings. I wasn't lying in bed, but rather sat upright upon a comfortable chair. The lighting was wrong too- a lot darker than my own room normally is. And there was a haunting, melancholic voice ringing in my ears- just quiet enough that it was almost background noise. A song that sung to me on the deepest level.

And then I opened my eyes, and it only reinforced the idea that this had to be a dream. "Well shit, is this a hallucination?"

Across from me, a serene voice chuckled a little. The incredibly long nosed man leaned over his table to inspect me and offered a smile. "I believe you already know the answer to that question, Dreamer."

I did. Because even in my sleep deprived state, I recognised the sharply dressed man as Igor- the fictional 'servant' that managed the Velvet Room from the Persona franchise. The stereotypical, mysteriously vague Gandalf figure responsible for assisting his guests as they proceeded through their quests to inevitably fight some evil god of some kind for the fate of the world while enduring the horrors of Japanese highschool.

And I just so happened to be in a blue tinted room, across the table from an Igor lookalike, with a white/blonde-haired girl standing off to one side- an implacable expression upon her features. And so, if I was here, then that meant… "Please tell me I'm not a guest. Please tell me that this isn't one of those damned Self-Insert scenarios. That this is just some crazy dream."

Igor shook his head. "Again, you already know the answer."

" _Damn. There go any hopes of self-delusion on my end."_ Unfortunately, I was far too cognizant for this to be a hallucination, and I wasn't dumb enough to block my ears and hide away from the truth. "I guess I can't deny it. As strange as it all is, for the minute I'm willing to accept that this situation is happening. I'm in Persona… somehow. And I'm in this Room. So… go on. Hit me."

Because the only time somebody shows up in the Velvet Room, it's when shits about to get real weird real quick. And I'd just started university- the perfect launching point for an 'adventure'.

"I am happy to see that you catch on quickly. However, do not be in too much of a rush. Allow me my pleasantries, at the very least."

I rolled my eyes, looking around my room a tad bit impatiently.

He cleared his throat. "My name is Igor, and it is a pleasure to welcome you to the Velvet Room. This place stands between dreams and reality, and mind and matter… though I fear the boundary is far less nowadays than it once was. And to my left stands Lavenza, another resident of this place."

I took the moment to look at the attendant a bit more closely and couldn't help but let out a whistle of surprise. I knew that she'd looked familiar, but the name confirmed it. This was the attendant of Persona 5's MC-kun, or rather the final fused form of his two attendants. She looked quite a bit older, however. Whereas in the game she handily filled the role of the 'token loli', she now looked closer in age to myself. She still had the same kind smile, and was still on the petite side, but her looks had definitely been refined with time.

At the very least, I didn't feel like a real pedo for admitting that she looked rather nice now.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you." I admitted.

She bowed respectfully but didn't seem offended. "While I have already served as an attendant for one Trickster, that was mostly through the capacity of my two separate selves. This time you shall have my aid as Lavenza, and I hope that you find that satisfactory."

"I don't think I'll have a problem." I admitted. She was polite at the very least, so I doubted that I'd have any problems interacting with her while Persona-ing. Heavens knows how I would have been able to put up with a brat like Caroline instead…

"So then, Dreamer, should we come to crux of the matter?" Igor asked.

"I think so." I shuffled forwards a little on my chair, eagerly. Part of me still couldn't quite believe that this was happening, but I didn't dare _not_ take this seriously.

So, at my behest, Igor began. "You are about to go upon a journey- a vast Odyssey, one could almost describe it. However, unlike the heroes of old your path does not lead onwards, nor will you be ascending towards greater things. No. Dreamer, would you care to tell me what this Velvet Room looks like?"

"Well, I don't actually know." I admitted. I'd been taking in the decor ever since I first woke up, but I still didn't know what to make of it. Steel surrounded us on all sides, turning the room almost into a cage, and yet there were no bars. A single light fixture hung from the centre of the room, which bathed my surroundings in a dark blue tinge. I guessed it might have been an elevator, especially since we were _definitely_ in motion, based upon the shifting of fixed lights I noticed outside of the 'cage' through thin, window like slots- but that didn't feel right.

So, I stepped up and walked over to one of the slits, looking for a more concrete look. As I approached, I noticed that I could hear a whirring sound. I gulped and stuck my head outside a little- it was so _damned_ difficult trying to see anything. I saw rock and stone walls, too far away to touch, but close enough to feel oppressive. And then by craning my head, I saw an infinite blackness both above and below, with a chain hanging onto the top of the cage that I could narrowly see lead up into the shadows.

"We're descending." I said aloud. "This is a _mining shaft_."

Igor applauded, and motioned for me to return to my seat, which I did so. "You are correct. This is a Mining Cage, and I am sure you are aware of how the shape of the Velvet Room ties into the journey itself."

"Boy am I. And just seeing what my room looks like makes me despair for this 'quest'." I sure didn't like what the symbolism of an enclosed cage rapidly descending into the darkness of an infinite mine shaft represented for my future.

"If you truly despair for your future, then perhaps a reading could shed some light upon your circumstances." Somehow, a set of blue tarot cards were already in his hands and fanned before me. That Igor had some mad dexterity. "This is the least I can do as service. Would you care to see?"

"Sure." I shrugged. I had never exactly put much stock in fortune telling, which was funny considering how my mum actually made a living teaching yoga and selling tarot reading, but what could you do? I liked to consider myself an open sceptic. You can believe in what you want and I won't deny those views or thoughts even if I can't agree- and at the very least I try to remain open minded to things I don't properly understand.

And if Igor was offering it, then I was sure that it would prove metaphorically significant in some fashion.

"Very well then. I shall now begin." He deftly shuffled his cards, before laying seven down in a V like shape. He flipped over the first, revealing the image of a structure being melted down by a dragon's fire, while an all-seeing eye hung above- watching. "The Tower. A curious choice of a first card, especially as it represents your past."

"Ruin, destruction, upheaval." I listed out with my fingers. "That really doesn't seem to suit me at all." I'd lived a perfectly normal life before I woke up here and had no clue why I even _was_ here. My life was no worse than anybody else's, and what painful moments I _did_ have in my past I wasn't arrogant enough to consider them much worse than anyone else's. Suffice to say, I hadn't experienced any 'ruin' lately- that was for sure.

"Do not be so hasty. The Arcana reveals all, and just because you cannot identify the meaning, does not mean it isn't there." Igor chided me lightly. "The Tower also means the old making way for the new, spiritual renewal, and revelations. Suffice to say, your old burdens have definitely been lifted from your shoulders, and the ruin should not be feared so highly as it has already long since happened."

"So, if my past if Ruin, what is my present?"

Indulgingly, he flipped the second card, a man with a tiger latched at his side, while an umbilical cord wraps around him thrice. "As expected, you are presently the Fool. A new journey begins… though I will not claim that this was an unexpected card to either of us. The next one though…"

The third one, my future, was revealed. A sideways body with the head of an eagle, clutching a rod of some kind. "The Aeon."

"The Aeon?" I asked in confusion, mentally trying to roll through all the Arcana that I could remember. "That's not one of the standard Arcana."

"You are correct. However, sometimes different decks can yield different spreads, and while I have never been partial to Crowley's Thoth deck, I cannot deny that it has its own merits and charms."

An unusual deck for an unusual journey, it seemed. "Your journey will be a difficult one. Harmony has been lost, and it is only through critical wisdom that the correct path will be uncovered… finality and destruction or hope and liberation. In the end, your judgement will be the deciding factor."

"Well doesn't _that_ sound pleasant. Not at all ominous." I wouldn't trust myself to fight my way out of a paper bag, let alone decide the fate of the world itself.

Flip. A man with wings upon his feet. "Fear not- there is clear guidance for what you must do reach the optimum outcome. As the Magus suggests, you must take action. Remain active. You must use all tools and actions to achieve your goals, and…" another flipped card. The Moon. "Most importantly of all, do not allow yourself to give into your fears. Your anxiety and self-doubt… cast aside such illusions."

And then, the sixth card was revealed. A skeletal figure with two faces accompanied by a serpent. "Death. External change, as opposed to the Towers Internal change. This is both your greatest hope and fear. Do not allow yourself to become Reversed- change is not something to be resisted. And as for your final result… how this shall all end…" The final card was turned over, displaying an upside-down man, hanging by his foot. The Hanged Man.

"I believe that this concludes your reading. I hope it proves enlightening."

"Thanks." I replied, though internally I wished that I hadn't bothered asking. These answers… they troubled me more than they helped me. With my limited understanding of the Arcana, I understood just enough of my reading to be worried about the results. Tower, Fool, Aeon, Magician, Moon, Death and Hanged Man.

I really hoped that this journey of mine had a happy ending.

"And now, I believe that there is but a single thing left to do." Lavenza spoke up, stepping towards the table. In her hands, she held up a scroll, which she placed before me along with a raven's feather.

I read the scroll aloud. "I agree to take full responsibility for my own actions."

"With this contract signed, you will fully become a guest of the Velvet Room, and your journey will truly begin." A dour look crossed Igor's face for a moment. "Events have already begun, and you _will_ be drawn in one way or another, so this is more a formality more than anything. However… the choice is still yours."

Choice… that was what this contract was about. I was being drawn into a Persona based scenario, and I was clearly set to play the role of the Fool- just like those MC-kuns that came before me. If I refused to sign this then I would likely perish, but if I wrote my name there then there would be no going back. I would be stuck dealing with this scenario whether I wanted to or not. Refusing to sign at the very least gave me a small, slim possibility to escape…

But at the end of the day, whatever disaster was upon the horizon, it would happen with or without me signing this. The only difference was whether I would be willing to step up to try and stop it, or whether I backed out.

I signed my name. Either way I was damned, but I knew that I had been _chosen_ to do this, and Igor was ultimately a beneficial supporter of humanity. Even if I doubted my ability to accomplish what he wanted, I had to hope that he knew things I didn't and had selected me for a reason.

Blink. _"Unless he's an imposter doing a Person 5."_

"Hey Igor, you'd totally tell me if you were tricking me about your identity and motivations and actions, right?"

Igor laughed a little. "Well, if I _was_ tricking you, surely I would lie about whether I'd tell you or not, wouldn't I?"

"Fuuuck. I knew I was forgetting something." Lavenza looked like she wanted to break out into a little giggle, though for all I knew she was merely suppressing a cough. "Oh well. Guess I'll just have to take a Persona Protagonist rank in Badass and Git Gud enough to beat you… just in case."

The gaunt man inclined his head. "I urge you to try. Having goals is important, even if a milestone such as this stands oh so far ahead of you."

Suddenly, an alarm started to sound. It lacked the sheer volume or panic of a fire alarm, but instead possessed the low and constant buzz of an alarm clock- as if someone was trying to awaken me, and the me within the dream was only just starting to realise that it was time to wake up.

"It appears that our time is up for now, Dreamer." Lavenza noted. Quickly, she reached into a pocket and drew out a gleaming key- which she handed to me.

"Indeed. We shall meet again." Igor said, the velvet lights flickering and the sound of the alarm clock reaching a new crescendo. "Seek the depths, Dreamer. For that is where all your answers dwell. Seek the depths."

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 1**

And so for the second time did I wake up, thinking that I was still asleep. I remembered my encounter with Igor and Lavenza in the Velvet Room, and so I anticipated that I would get mixed up in something supernatural… eventually. Certainly, not this quickly, anyway.

I couldn't remember exactly what I was doing before I went to the Velvet Room- where I fell asleep, or what I was doing about then, but I remembered enough to know that the last place I had been was _not_ inside some hybrid piece of abstract architecture, lying upon a stone casket.

With a groan, I rose from my sleeping position, and got to my feet. "Where the fuck am I?"

As expected, no answer. _"Oh well. Only thing I can do is try and figure it out personally. Either way, this isn't a_ normal _place, so I should expect something crazy to happen soon."_

First things first, I gave the room a good look over. All in all, the room had a rather contradictory appearance- as if I was in an ornate room in a temple that was somehow trying to masquerade as a modern building. Walls of concrete with inscrutable hieroglyphs painted on in what looked like spray paint, overhanging lampshades with will-o-wisps instead of bulbs. One entrance, and then there was the burial casket I'd woken up atop of that had stone outer walls, but a wooden lid.

"Confusing." I muttered, tapping the hollow centrepiece, but I moved on. I needed a way out, so my next target was the sole exit to the room- a fire escape door helpfully labelled 'No Escape- Need No Escape- Never An Escape' and with no handles. I gave it a strong push- no reaction. As expected, the lever next to the door was probably the key here. Without another word, I shifted the level, and watched how the door swung open on its own- revealing that beyond the door began a vast corridor- oppressive despite the regularly swinging light features running across the ceiling (Probably because they were swinging _despite_ there being no breeze).

"Sweet… and now it's time to explore the creepy corridors. No problem." I started at a brisk walk. The sooner I left here the better.

The corridor went on for a good five minutes, with every small sound causing a jump of surprise from me as I expected something to go wrong. But no- things were luckily rather quiet. Until I finally met the bane of all gamers- a forking path. "Gah! Decisions!"

The left one started veering upstairs, featuring what looked like stairs in the distance, while the rightwards one merely seemed to go deeper into the darkness. It didn't take long for me to start jogging down the left one- because while Igor had told me to 'seek the depths', I would really prefer to 'seek them' with a little bit more preparation as opposed to diving head first into this place.

So I went up the path, taking the steps two at a time, until I reached the top and stopped sharp. A shut door- far larger than the one I had emerged from. Made of plain, sturdy steel. It was a Very Important Door. Let us be grateful that it actually _had_ handles this time. I approached the door, expecting to have difficulty pulling the massive weight… and yet it slid open at my touch- almost eager to reveal the contents on the other side.

Up ahead was a long corridor that gradually narrowed from the width and height of the door, and ahead of that stood a crossroad of corridors. And shuffling across said crossroads was something distinctly _inhuman_. Under the fiery overhead light, I could see that its consistency was closer to a puddle than anything else, and it seemed to _slide_ through the corridor, pulling itself forwards using its two hands.

Now, _that_ was a _Shadow_. As in one of the dark representations of the human psyche that served as the enemy mobs in the Persona franchise. And since that was a Shadow, then I knew without doubts that wherever I was, it was _definitely_ the Inevitable Supernatural Location.

I was in the Inevitable Supernatural Location… without a Persona… without a weapon… and I had just _frozen_. It would not be an exaggeration to say that I was in an extremely vulnerable position. And yet, despite the danger, my body just would. Not. Move.

All I could do was stand in silence and hope that its masked face wouldn't look my way.

And luck must have been on my side, because several seconds later it was out of sight, having already continued down the path it had started upon. I waited a minute after it had vanished to sigh in relief- my body finally able to move.

"Damn, I'm pathetic." I muttered. Yes, I was undeniably powerless here, and had never been in a life-threatening situation in my life, but that didn't excuse anything. That thing had been creepy, but it hardly looked _powerful_ , and Persona users often spent their time pummelling Shadows for fun. Without a Persona. So even without one, I had no excuse for freezing like that.

" _This is serious now. It's not just 'escape the creepy place'. Now it's 'escape before they kill me'. So, I can't be freezing up."_ I took a deep breath, and lightly slapped my cheeks. "Come on… we need to make a move on."

Pep talk initiated, I began my exploration, albeit with a large degree more haste. The Shadow had gone down the left path, so I went straight on. The path twisted and branched again, and I cursed. _"No time to ponder."_ I mused _"Just keep picking- it doesn't matter so long as we keep going."_

So, I ignored my hesitation, and went straight for instinct. Right this time. Wrong choice. Another shadow puddle ahead. Okay. Maybe if I shuffle backwards it might not notice me like the other-

Blink. Okay. Its masks swivelled this way. And fuck. Its noticed me. Run. RUN ALREADY!

It took way longer than I wanted to, but I managed to force my legs to move, and I sprinted back the way I came. I could hear it hot on my tails though- it had noticed me, and I had the feeling it wasn't going to let me slip.

I couldn't claim to have any kind of physical training or stamina, but I _did_ have desperation on my side, so I was able to reach the branching path without too many problems. I turned, seeing it still pursuing me like a very persistent puddle. I took a moment to catch my breath and began jogging down the second path I hadn't picked. This one led to another crossroads and another Shadow- just my luck.

Left, right, straight on, left. I kept sprinting through the ruins, turning as soon as I spotted a Shadow, and taking small breaks around corners when I could. I was sweating like a pig, and my clothes stuck to me like a glove. I'd already pulled off my hoodie and tied it around my waist, just so it wasn't in the way. And yet, the Shadows were persistent. I think I'd lost the first two, but more seemed to keep taking their place. It was a nightmare- especially as I seemed no closer to escape.

All I'd seen were the same twisting, narrow corridors with no reprieve save for the occasional alcove or odd pieces of decoration: old pots, crumbling statues and rusted candelabras hung sporadically from the walls. No exists, no reprieve. Nothing.

" _If I don't find an escape quickly, or figure out how to magic up a Persona, then I'm deadmeat."_ Though that was an idea. I turned around, to the four puddles sliming towards me, overlapping as they crowded towards me. Then, I bumped my fist high, feeling a little silly, and tried to imagine a glowing card. Finally, I shouted defiantly: "PERSONA!"

… and then nothing happened, save for me feeling a little silly and out of breath, and the Shadows being a bit closer than I'd like.

"Okay, so _that_ was a bust." Back to running, in other words.

Right, left, straight on, dead end, double back and right, right, left. The directions practically blurred together by this point- navigation was impossible in my current state, and I was as lost as could be.

Then, finally, something _different_. A lever, like the one that I'd used to open the door to the room I'd awoken in. I pulled it down with a loud grunt and heard something clicking open nearby. I took a quick run to the upcoming corridor and saw it to my left: a passageway leading to an open room, with doors opened wide. I would have jumped for joy if I had the energy. Instead, I geared up another burst of speed, diving into the room. I saw that it was similar to the room I'd awakened in, save for the fact that the centrepiece for the room was a large pedestal with a gem on it as opposed to a casket, and a single, tinted window. The glass was dark, so I could see nothing beyond it, but it was perhaps a way _out_.

I rushed towards it and tried to whack it with my shoulder or elbow- something that could maybe break it without hurting me, but the glass wouldn't budge. Either it was reinforced, or I was weak. I spun, looking for another exit, and saw that there was none. The window, and the open door. The one five of the puddles were sliding down.

"Fuuuck. I messed up." When I saw the room, I should have gone elsewhere- because nothing is quite as bad as a dead end when you lack the ability to fight back properly. I had a final idea, and rushed to the doors, pushing the open doors shut. I heard no locking sound and knew that it would only remain as shut as I held it, but it gave me a moment of hope. _"If I hold it shut long enough, maybe they'll get bored and go elsewhere?"_

Then, beneath the door I saw a slither of shadow slip through, and I realised another mistake. The fire-doors had gaps at the bottom like most doors, _and I was literally fighting puddles_. Already, they were slowly sliding through the narrow gap, forcing me to jump back. I was pressed against the pedestal now- the stone digging into my back. In front of me, I saw a dark hand emerge from beneath the door, as the first Shadow pulled itself out from the floor- with its brethren close behind.

"Fucking hell! _REALLY!?_ " I was sincerely pissed right now. Dragged into a supernatural mess by characters that quite frankly _shouldn't exist due to being fictional_ , and then dumped into the Obligatory Supernatural Location without so much as a warning. "How they fuck did they expect me to handle this!?"

I couldn't fight. I couldn't run. I was _trapped_. And this terrified me. I hated the idea of being powerless, that for all my smarts there was nothing I could do against an unthinking opponent I couldn't talk down. Igor was a jackass who'd put my life at risk, despite _knowing_ exactly how little I was cut out for this!

My fingers were clenched so tightly that I was certain my nails had pierced skin. I wasn't too much of a man to admit that I had the beginning of tears in my eyes. I was upset, terrified, and fucking _pissed_. Because I didn't want it to end like this. I didn't want to go out with a whimper.

My blood was boiling now, my palms bleeding, and my head pounding. On some level, I knew this was uncharacteristic of me, but I didn't mind. I felt that white hot anger, and I held it close to me, because it was better than the alternative. I wanted to _live_.

Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump. My heart and mind beat as one, and then it was like my skull tore itself open, and something tried to desperately escape.

" **So, you wish to live?"** A confident voice whispered to me, his bold words reverberating throughout my whole body and filling it with a sensation I couldn't quite identify.

"Yes." I responded, fully aware that I was only speaking to myself at this point.

" **Alas, it takes more than that, my other self, to venture into the eternal darkness. Say it. Say it with** _ **resolve**_ **."**

"I… I don't want to die like this! I need to LIVE!" I screamed out. It was as simple as that. Beyond the base animal instinct for survival, there was so much I wanted to accomplish with my life. Finishing a novel, falling in love, being remembered… and here and now, I wanted to see Igor's pointed nose and _smack it_.

" **Hmmm… that shall do. For now."** And with that, the pounding in my head intensified, and my boiling blood became _fire_. There was a fire inside me now, and it was begging to be let out. **"Go forth. There is still such indecision to you, but in time I see what you shall become, over the course of your voyage. Thus, allow your journey to commence now, and transform your hesitation into determination. Call my name, for Thou art I, and I am Thou! From the sea of thy soul I come, and I shall stand by you to the Nine Hells and back!"**

The inferno inside me was overwhelming, and I knew I couldn't hold it in any longer… so I didn't. I pulled the metaphorical trigger. My right hand went to my chest, just over my heart, and then I _pulled_ , and spoke the instinctive words. "Persona!"

Blue fire collected in my palm, and like a whip it lashed out from my torso as I tugged. Then, the burning inside me flooded out- exploding outwards above me as I could feel _something_ forming. It was overwhelming, and I fell to one knee, and I looked up to see what I'd called.

From the depths of my soul, it emerged amidst fire and smoke and ash. A tall, handsome figure, floating in mid-air. His hair was black as night and was tied neatly behind him in a short ponytail, which clashed greatly with the ash white, porcelain mask that hid his features behind the smiling face of comedy. As for his attire? Tall, brown boots, lightly armoured legs, and a dark set of leather mail for his torso, with a billowing red cloak masking almost everything inside. Save, perhaps, for the Persona's weapon that was sheathed at its hip- a sword of some kind.

It stood there resolutely, as if pleased with my summoning of it, but did no more. Then, I understood, and shouted aloud. "Cleave them, Dante!"

Then, the sword was unsheathed, and my Persona dropped like a ten-tonne weight- utterly crushing the first Shadow as its short sword cleaved it in two. The other four Shadows stopped dead in their tracks for a moment, perhaps out of surprise, before lunging forwards.

Dante stepped into the path of the attacks, taking the hits in my stead, though I could still feel it as if the damages were my own. Enraged, I ordered a counter attack. "Dante, Agi!" The Persona flung out its free arm, and from his palm a fireball emerged and shot into the mass of shadows- instantly destroying the second. Seeing it burn… I somehow knew that the enemy was Weak to Fire and looked forwards to putting the rest of them in their places.

… or at least I did, until the Shadow furthest away from me flung a bolt of ice at Dante. The Spell felt like a sucker punch, and Dante disappeared like a flickering candle extinguished. This made an opening that the next Shadow was very happy to take advantage of- slipping right up close and slashing at me with an open palm. A shallow wound opened up on my arm, and with a wince I jumped back- hitting that pedestal again in the process.

" _Looks like Dante has an Ice weakness. And my first enemies use it. Talk about the worst Tutorial ever."_

Rather than voicing this annoyance aloud, I instead fell back on anger. "Fuck it. I'm gonna kill you!" My arm was bleeding, I was fairly sure I had a bruise on my back where I'd impacted with the stand, and these puny-ass low-level Shadows were putting up way more of a fight than I wanted. "To my side, Dante!" Again, my fiery protector appeared at my side, and flung a fireball at the closest Shadow. Another enemy down. "And again!" Boom, another one bites the dust.

Shitshitshiticeattack. Dispelled Dante before it hit him, then brought him back. Fuck though, was it tiring to summon him or what? Doubly so for those fireballs- I was already feeling as if my engines were half empty, and I'd only chucked three out. "Dante, Cleave it!" One final attack to finish it. An obvious swing, but too strong to resist or ignore. And so the Shadows fell.

With a laugh of relief, I fell to my knees. "Damn, I'm alive!"

Yes, I was alive. I'd somehow lived through the encounter and had even Awakened my Persona to boot. Results?

I stayed there, on my knees on the cold floor, for a good five minutes, just giggling happily to be alive. Also, I had _motherfucking superpowers_ now! That was worth at least a little celebration.

" _Okay, so the saving the world bit sucks, and the risking my life bit sucks. But I guess it kinda balances out for giving me the power to summon Pokemons from my head. If I end up with a Band of True Companions, then I might even forgive Igor for pulling me into this."_

After five minutes of this self-congratulatory-patting-myself-on-the-back, I finally felt recovered enough to get back to my feet. I was still drained, my arm was bleeding still, and I was feeling distinctly half full as far as my SP goes (Because let's call it what it is, my MP by any other name). But at the very least, I felt human enough to carry on.

"So, what now?" That was the question. I had a Persona now, so I wasn't defenceless, and I even had the advantage in a fight if I could get the first hit in since the enemies here seemed a bit on the weak side. Theoretically, I could head deeper in…

But on the other hand, _that would be fucking stupid_. I was drained, alone, and I honestly just wanted to find somewhere to sit down for a drink and to recover from my near-death experience. Exploring eldritch locations based upon the human psyche could wait for another day.

"So. Let's find a way out." There was still that dark window in the room, so I decided to try something. "Dante, Cleave." My Persona appeared, and then the sword swung into the glass, and it shattered with a loud CRASH. Beyond the glass was… more darkness? I approached, letting Dante fade away now that his job was done, and did the obviously sensible thing of poking the blackness. It was a physical thing, swirling lightly, and had a consistency like water.

I took a deep breath, knowing that this was probably a dumb idea, but… when you find a portal, sometimes the best thing to do is dive into it. I took one last final look around, grabbed the loose change I found lying on the floor courtesy of the Shadows (Because who didn't love loot?), slipped the gem sitting upon the altar into my pocket (Because after all the pain I went through to find this room, it was only fair that I got something out of it all), and then I took a running leap into the portal.

As I crossed the threshold, I felt an intense chill spread through me for a moment. I couldn't see anything. I couldn't breathe. All I could do, was _open my eyes_. The darkness ended, and I passed out the other end. I struck solid floor and cried out with a swear word in two. _"In hindsight… probably should have_ walked calmly _through the ominous portal as opposed to diving head first through it."_

Alas, one cannot lie on the floor all day, and I needed to find out where I was. I looked about. I was definitely out of wherever the hell I'd woken up in. The world seemed back to normal- I was just in an ordinary dead-end alleyway. A bin, several piled up bags of rubbish, and a backdoor entrance to what seemed to be a restaurant based upon the smell coming from inside.

"No smashed window? Where the hell did I come from?" I looked behind me, to the very end of the alleyway. The wall looked ordinary… to begin with. But closer inspection revealed the truth to me. There- a large crack running through the bricks. I reached out and touched the split, then leapt back with a yell as I saw the scar expand outwards- growing until a full shadowy door could be seen. After 10 seconds or so with nobody passing through, the scar narrowed and thinned until it reverted to its initial state. "Huh. Neat."

So. That at least answered where I came from, and where I would need to return to enter back into that damned labyrinth… labyrinth… fuck it. I'm calling it the Labyrinth. And I know Persona Q technically already had a Labyrinth, but what were they gonna do, sue me? It's a claustrophobic mess of deep passages and corridors filled with shadowy things that want to eat me- so I'mma calling it the Labyrinth. Anyway, it sounds kinda catchy in the edgy sort of way and is a lot shorter to say than Obligatory Supernatural Location.

Next step. Figure out where I am (Because this damn well didn't look like my home town and had far too many tall buildings to be where I planned to study). And then, find a place to sell my bigass jewel, because papa needs money to sleep at a hotel somewhere.

However, it was just as I left the alleyway that fate seemed to punch me in the balls… or rather smack me in the face with a loose paper. Because I _did_ get slapped in the face with a loose newspaper. With a growl I pulled it off my face, cursing the strong breeze for embarrassing me so, and planned to chuck it aside. At least, I had until I saw the name of the paper.

'The Brockton Gazette'.

"Nope." I said, rather softly. "Nope. No way. We aren't doing that." Oh, but we _were_. A closer look at the front-page story and a brief skim through the rest was all I needed to confirm the exact thing I didn't want.

Brockton Bay. ABB. Empire 88. The PRT. Scion sighting. Endbringer taxes.

This… was motherfucking Worm.

"Am I dreaming? Am I being fucked with?" Because it was one thing to wake up in the Velvet Room and be told 'hey, suck it up, you're now an SI stuck with a Persona based mess to deal with for reasons I won't explain', and another to _find yourself in another completely unrelated franchise altogether._

"Iggoooorrr!" I roared out aloud, clutching the paper so tightly I was sure that it would tear through intensity alone. "This is dumb! I want a refund! My Teenage Supernatural Adventure is Wrong, and I didn't expect it!"

 **AN- thus begins this tale. It won't be an odyssey so much as a drunken stumble. Because it takes a certain calibre of person to succeed as a Persona protagonist, and it remains to be seen whether our plucky protagonist makes the cut or not.**

 **At heart, this is a Multicross story (Even if it has not been introduced yet), and Worm is our first little stop. Anyhow, hope y'all looking forwards to some really awkward Social Links… Undying Soul out.**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- a Wild Update has appeared! Reader Uses Read (Hopefully)**

 **Chapter 2**

I nursed my hot chocolate gently, appreciating the warmth it provided in the chilly November air. Right now, I was sitting in the outside seating area of your local generic coffee shop, enjoying the drink I'd been able to buy with the loose pocket change the enemy Shadows had dropped. Fun fact- Shadow currency is fucking _weird_ ; the barista took one look at the clearly alien currency, before blinking dumbly and taking it without question- the coins themselves shifting shape as she grabbed them to become perfectly ordinary dollar bills.

I'd been glad of that convenience, because it gave me a chance to sit down and collect my thoughts. Summing it all up: I was a Persona Protagonist, there was a giant, evil Labyrinth containing the dark Shadows of humanity (That may or may not be hosting an eldritch monstrosity or god at the bottom, because this is _Persona_ ), and for some strange reason my Supernatural Adventure wasn't taking place in the comfort of the real world but had instead lead to me finding myself in a completely separate (But equally fictional) world.

" _Oh yeah. I'm currently in the Worm universe… which has its own apocalypse a few years down the line, have an ill-gotten jewel stuffed down my hoodie as my sole means to obtain funds, and also have no legal identity here. Fun."_

Still, it was all well and good moaning about my situation for a bit, but everyone has to get off their ass and doing something about it… eventually. And I had a vague plan, so that was that. Find a second-hand store to sell my jewel- probably for far less than something of this size is actually worth. Find a cheap hotel that doesn't ask for ID and get an early night. Have the inevitable Velvet Room chat. Next day, try to get some basic gear together, and maybe make an initial plunge back into the depths.

I tapped the ruby in my pocket thoughtfully. _"At the very least, that Labyrinth is smart. I basically have no choice to go in there either way, since I need money and pronto to live here since I can't get a job without an identity, and pilfering jewels and treasure from there may be the fastest method."_

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw quite a commotion. A few of the other patrons were pointing to a point in the sky, and I looked over to see a floating girl descend nearby with a girl in her arms. The first was pretty to a fault, with a white costume and a tiara, while the second had an alabaster and red robe wrapped around her.

"Glory Girl and Panacea." I whispered to myself, in surprise. I didn't know why I was so astonished- after all, this was their home city, and with the population density of Capes in Brockton Bay I figured that I'd meet a Cape or two while I was here. I just hadn't expected it so soon- it very much reminded me that this wasn't my home world, but rather somewhere where people flying was almost an everyday occurrence. And these two people were 'characters' that I knew quite intimately from reading Worm.

I had the sudden urge to step up, call out to them, and immediately spill my guts. To tell them everything. Warn them of everything that was to come. Every horrible thing that happened to the two of them could be averted if only I tried to warn them, because right now it was early November, and Taylor hasn't even got powers yet. There was nothing but time to prepare them.

It was a simple truth that I had the ability to stop so much hurting in this world through my foreknowledge alone… if only I had the will to attempt to do so. Because if I did that, then I also needed to accept that in doing so I could very easily shatter the canonical timeline which while _horrible_ at the very least ended with Scion dead and the continuation of Humanity. It was scary to know that my actions could _literally_ have planetary consequences.

Glory Girl looked sharply at me, and I realised that my staring must have been rather intense. I coughed nervously, and pointedly looked aside. From my peripheral I saw the two enter the coffee shop and purchase their drinks. As they left I gave one more thought towards stopping them…

But I stopped myself. _"Don't do anything dumb Theo."_ I told myself, forcing down a quick sip of my drink to at least try to act natural. _"Don't do anything spontaneous on a whim. Who knows what would happen. If you do something, do it with some thought. And always remember the important thing."_ Namely, that I liked having an operational planet to live upon, and I needed this world to win against Scion because I was now living upon its surface. The Scion situation would _technically_ be resolved if I did nothing. However, if I did nothing then there was one other apocalypse that wouldn't be averted- the one dwelling within the Labyrinth (Because it was obviously not benevolent).

"I feel so shitty." I muttered. It was a cold logic, picking a certain truth that hurt many people, just in the hope that my actions would instead lead to an even worse world.

One final, large chug. "Fuck it. We're burning daylight." And I wanted some cold, hard cash to distract myself from my own selfish thoughts.

XXXXXXXXXX

I only managed to get 1500 dollars from the shopkeeper. Way under its actual value- as I anticipated. Because the buyer didn't actually have that much capital on him, he couldn't verify the legality of what I was selling, and because he knew that I couldn't afford to ask for more concerning said illegality.

At the very least, it was enough for me to get a halfway decent room for a week, and hopefully enough for a basic weapon and some armour.

I fell asleep to the thought of my family- wondering if they were missing me or even aware that I was missing- and the memory of the tomb I had first woken up today atop.

XXXXXXXXXX

I came to sitting upon the suspiciously comfortable chair of the Velvet Room. Yup- same metallic walls, same desk and seats, and same lighting. I was back.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room." Igor greeted me, a truly sincere smile upon his face.

"You know, you are _really_ lucky that Lavenza is such a badass that she would be able to hand me my ass faster than you could say newb, because otherwise I would definitely reach across that table and strangle you with your own tie." I threatened him, rather casually.

"Would you really?" Lavenza asked in what seemed to be alarm.

"Well, no, not really." I admitted. Doing that would be extremely rude, and I'd never been a particularly violent person. "It was a bit of an exaggeration. The point is that _I_ am rather annoyed."

"Ohoh, and why is that, Dreamer?" Igor queried, leaning towards me.

"Well, it was one thing to drag someone like me into an adventure like this." I can live with _that_ Call to Adventure, thank you very much. "It's _another_ thing entirely to dump them _directly_ in the Labyrinth without warning or weapon, and _then_ not even tell them that they were being dumped into a foreign world too. A _fictional_ world, might I add."

"You _are_ aware that we in the Velvet Room have no real ability to affect the world of the living, aren't you?" the blonde asked me.

"Yes."

"In that case, let me assure you that we didn't 'dump' you there." Igor reassured me. "Indeed, let me say that you would have woken up there regardless of whether we intervened or not. We merely saw a potential Wild Card in need of assistance and chose to bring you here. If our manner offended you, then let me humbly apologise."

I winced at his words. Damn- I couldn't stay angry at a man with a voice as smooth as his. "Fair enough. Sorry for being a little ticked off- I know that it isn't really your fault, and that directing my anger at you doesn't help any of us. Though you really _could have_ told me about the Worm thing."

He shrugged. "I am not all knowing, no matter how it might seem. I know just as much as you do, in this instance. While I am _peripherally_ aware of what's happening here, I feel worryingly in the dark. Same as you. My Master alerted me to a Fool about to begin a journey, and so here we are."

I'll accept his words for now- though I'm not happy. I had to admit that it was suspicious how little he knew. "Have you told me everything you know?"

"No." He admitted. "It is the Velvet Rooms role to aid our guests, but there are rules, and we are forbidden from intervene too much in your journey. Those secrets that lurk within what you refer to as the Labyrinth… you will need to uncover them yourself."

"Load of help you are then." I muttered beneath my breath, perhaps a little bit bitter.

Here, Igor chuckled. "Have no fear. We still have plenty of ways to aid you, oh holder of the Wildcard. Especially now that your contract is signed, and you have Awakened."

I felt the world slow and darken- as if time had momentarily paused. Before me I saw a vague image, a familiar one. The Fool card appeared before me, and I felt a small flood of power within me. The feeling was pleasantly unusual- like I had become something more than I was before. Like when I first Awakened. Then, time reverted to normal and the sensation dulled.

"Oh man, was _that_ a Social Link?"

"Indeed." Igor remarked. "With this meeting, let our bond be formalised- a Social Link of the Fool Arcana! The Velvet Room shall be at your side as you seek the depths, always willing to offer a friendly ear and a helping hand. Let us grow closer to that truth together."

"Indeed. Let's." I nodded my head resolutely and gave him a predatory look. "So, now that we have this whole bond and stuff, when can we start getting into the other Wildcard stuff?"

He waggled his finger at me chidingly. "Patience, Dreamer. Return to us with another Bond formed and when you have discovered us in the Real World, and _then_ we of the Velvet Room shall happily show you our services."

"Damned Quest prerequisites." I mumbled.

From above, I heard it once more. The alarm bell that had awoken me from the last time I had visited here. "So, any last pieces of advice before I return to the waking world?"

"Try to have the courage to seize a bond the _next_ time you discover one." He suggested. "And make as many of those wonderful connections as you can."

I nodded, writing his words to my memory. I shut my eyes, awaiting the end of the alarm, and my imminent rousing.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 2**

I stood in front of the shop anxiously. On my back I had a brand-new rucksack I'd bought, and within it I held all the recent purchases I'd made today. Some basic painkillers and bandages, a sketchpad and set of pencils for mapping the Labyrinth, a collapsible baton I'd gotten for the sake of it being subtle to carry, and a few drinks and snacks to eat. I had all the 'basic' goods I could imagine needing for my first proper excursion (Or at least everything I knew I definitely needed and that wouldn't burden me too much). Now, there was only one thing I really needed before I'd be comfortable entering the Labyrinth.

Protective clothing. Because I liked my organs inside my body, thank you.

I was sure that I could buy some online… but there was one source I wanted to try first, before then. So here I was, loitering outside a building known as the Dollhouse, to try and work up the nerves to go in and _actually request a meeting_ of my own initiative.

… yeah. Human interaction sucks sometime.

"Gah! Fuck it!" I said to myself, trying to pump myself up a little, then I walked quickly into the Dollhouse while my nerves still allowed. The inside looked similar to the outside- as if it was just like any other high-class boutique, with the only stand-alone contents being the giant dolls and teddy bears that lined the walls. Aisles of fashionable and stylish clothing spanned the entire shop, and at the far end was the register and a very much not-Parahuman manning it.

I gathered up my courage and approached the desk. "Hello, how can I help you?" she asked politely, albeit a little sceptically. Based upon my casual jeans, shirt and hoodie I likely wasn't the usual sort of customer to shop here at a mostly woman's clothing outlet.

"Hi, I'd like to arrange a meeting with Parian." I said, simply, trying to stay concise and to the point. "I'm looking to purchase some custom clothing and had no real clue how to go about it, so I figured I'd come straight to the source."

Her eyes widened with new understanding. "I see. Can I assume that this clothing would be something you require to be _sturdy_?"

"If sturdy is a synonym for 'knife-proof', then sure."

"In that case, would you like to speak with me in the backroom?"

I smiled gratefully. "Yes please."

So, she led me to the backroom, while one of the other workers took the till in her stead. "Let me blunt. Are you a Cape?"

"I am a Parahuman." I lied. "I have a power of my own." Truth. "I want something protective, so I came here."

She nodded her head, writing something down inside a notebook. "I can certainly schedule a meeting with her for you. Parian isn't always here; she is often off doing events with other businesses, so you _will_ have to wait."

"For how long? I kinda need it sooner than later." I admitted.

"If necessary, I can push it in within the next few days. Can I assume you are a new cape if you don't already have a costume? That may affect your price range, and it may just be easier for you to purchase a Kevlar vest online or something."

I shook my head. "I… well… I _kinda_ have a method that I think will eventually yield some impressive funds. It's a catch 22 situation though, where in order to get the funds I need proper protection, but to get the protection I need funds."

She glared at me. I gave a mock innocent look back. "Look, I said 'method', that's vague, and it's on purpose. I can say that I'm not doing anything illegal and that said 'method' is a perfectly legitimate manner of getting funds, and that you are probably happier _not_ knowing the exact details." And the wonderful thing was that I was technically telling the truth. Nobody here knew about Shadows, so there were no laws in place about killing Shadows for currency and selling the ill-gotten treasures found within their domain, and in my eyes battling Shadows for a living seemed just as legitimate a career as going out and fighting crime in spandex.

She sighed and rubbed her eyes. "You don't seem to be lying. I'll mention it to the boss, but I don't think it should matter too much. What's your number? I'll get back to you if she agrees to meet."

I rattled off the number of the hotel I was staying at, and thanked her for her time, before leaving.

"Well, that could have gone better. Coulda gone worse too, though." I didn't have any protection, but I had a meeting for later. I'd just have to be careful until then. This was just a first visit- it couldn't possibly go _too_ wrong, could it?

"… _except that it probably_ will _."_

XXXXXXXXXX

It took me awhile to navigate back to the entrance to the Labyrinth. I'd made sure to memorise where it was, so I could find my way back to it when I needed to, but I certainly didn't know Brockton Bay with the same level of understanding, and it took two buses and a bit of asking around to find the restaurant that was next to the alleyway leading to the portal.

Still, I made my way there. I double checked that everything was in place and where it was supposed to be. My baton was in one pocket- available to be easily drawn. In the other was a sheet of paper and pen, already filled in with the few concrete details I could remember from my frantic escape, and in a position where I could quickly pull it out and add to it when I had the moment. And then I had my hoodie tied tight around my waist, some sturdy thigh and arm protectors I'd purchased from a sports shop after the meeting at the Dollhouse, and my backpack on my back.

I was just about as ready as I could be for this. "Let's do this." I tapped the scar in the wall, watched the gateway open up like a gaping mouth, and then I stepped forwards and into the Labyrinth.

The other side was exactly as I remembered. An ornate room, composed of modern materials but in an ancient style with lavish, archaic touches pushing through despite itself. An empty pedestal, a passageway ahead, and behind me the shattered window. I took a deep breath, tapped my thigh to doublecheck that my baton was there, and then I began my exploration.

My goal today was to try to rediscover those steps that led downwards to where I'd first awoken. I couldn't remember the exact steps I'd taken in my flight from the Shadows, but I remembered the first few turns. After that… I'd have to play it by ear.

I started at a steady, slow jog, carefully looking around each corner before I went down it and making sure to remind myself that this was a marathon and not a sprint. I couldn't afford to waste unnecessary energy seeing as I was alone and had no present means to heal myself. I suspected that like in the games the snacks and drinks in my bag might help me recover (If only because I _believed_ that they would, and cognitive worlds reflect thoughts and beliefs), but that still limited recovery options.

And then, the fifth corridor in, I saw the Shadow. Another writhing puddle, just like one of the many that had attacked me yesterday. My heart began to rapidly beat in panic, but I crushed the feeling. _"Theo, you have a fucking Persona. You aren't helpless. Now, let's_ crush _that thing."_

"Dante, Cleave!" I jumped around the corridor, my palm at my heart and already tearing out my Persona, who manifested in a flash of blue fire, already having drawn his blade to bisect the startled Shadow. It didn't even have time to prepare an attack before my ambush wiped it out.

"Excellent." I rubbed my hands together in satisfaction. I looked around quickly to see if there were any other Shadows about, and seeing none, I ducked down to collect the small pile of loose change dropped by the Shadow and slip it into the side pocket of my bag.

With that, I continued on. My progress was just as cautious as before, but I think it worked it my advantage. By now I was already entering unknown territory (Or at least unvisited), so I needed the stops to correctly amend my map. I knew that I was eventually going to need a better method than hand drawing it by leaning the paper against the nearby wall, but for now I'd need to make do. I knew the importance of proper navigation when exploring, and I didn't enjoy the idea of losing my way after going off the beaten track.

Thrice more I found a wandering shadow: the first one I was able to ambush, the second all but ran into me when I forget to check first before entering a crossroads and nailed me pretty hard in the shoulder with a Bufu attack, and the third… well, I chose to avoid it, since the previous passageway had two paths, and I didn't fancy going off at the right angle that this path would need to fully explore.

I very much wanted to stick to my general area, at least until I'd achieved todays goal.

Left, right, Shadow (a quick Agi to take it out, after it spotted me), straight on, right… ahah.

A treasure chest, sitting alone at the end of a passageway. A quick check revealed no Shadows in the area… "So, is this a free meal?"

Initial impression? Yup. Treasure chest. It's a dungeon- these things are expected to be everywhere, and I'd say that I'd earned it. Let's go open it and get some loot. And yet, it seemed easy. Too easy…

"It's the first 'dungeon', of course it won't be too hard. Surely they'll just be lying around for a hapless Protagonists to discover." I said to myself.

"Yes, but that doesn't change how I _feel._ And this feels like a trap." I considered.

"Shut up you pansy, and just take the treasure." … and now I was insulting myself. I should probably stop deliberating over the topic and just _do_ it already.

So, I approached the chest.

Ka-click. The sound of something shifting underfoot, and mechanisms moving. With a curse, I threw myself to the ground with panicked instincts I didn't know I had, hearing another ka-click in the process. Then, a loud WHOOOSH sound. Above me I saw wooden stakes shoot from one of the walls just about where my torso would have been.

Where I'd just been standing not three seconds ago. "Fuck me, that would have hurt." Heck, I'd argue that would have _killed me_.

"Fucking Indiana Jones nonsense." I muttered, crawling forwards carefully. Now that I was really concentrating I could see the signs I should have noticed: the floor was uneven for three tiles, and the walls had small, round holes running along parts of it from where the arrows had shot from.

Yeah, I was gonna have to be more careful in the future now that I knew the possibility of traps existed here. A little more shuffling and a thorough check to see if there were any more pressure pads, and I was through. I got back to my feet, brushed my clothes off, and went straight for the treasure chest.

Which was locked.

"REALLY!?" I exclaimed in annoyance. "REALLY!? Come on out, Dante!" My Persona manifested in all his glory and swung his sword down with all his might upon the chest. A loud ringing sound sung out from where we struck it, but it didn't break. "Again!" My Persona proceeded to hammer away at it, smacking it again and again and again at the lock.

And yet, the chest showed no more sign of opening. I panted with exertion at manifesting my Persona for so many attacks, and finally decided to dispel Dante.

This chest wasn't going to budge. Not without a key, or maybe a lockpick.

Fwoomph!

Just from out the corner of my vision, I saw the fireball shooting towards me. I had just enough time to think _"Fuck,"_ before it struck me head on. I felt the distinct pain of burning, of fire washing over me and stinging my skin- before it subsided, and I realised that it was a lot less painful or deliberating than I expected, and I was still on my feet.

I spun to look back down the corridor. At the end was a new shadow- one shaped like a hand that walked upright on its two inner fingers. _"Of course my loud banging and shouting brought attention to me. Get your head in the game, Theo!"_

"Dante, Cleave." I summoned my Persona once more, requesting a physical attack. With enemies in Megami Tensei games, you can generally assume that if an enemy used an elemental attack then it's probably resistant to it, so when still learning their weaknesses its best to use something completely different. Thus, a massive downward swing.

And to my surprise, this was the first Shadow to not immediately fall after the first attack. A fireball gathered above it, and then launched straight at Dante. It hit, and I felt the pain and damage myself, but there was a certain buffer unlike before- while I could feel it, it was Dante that was doing most of that _feeling_.

"Finish it!" I demanded, and so the sword user ended it with a final swing. The Shadow was dead now, but I knew that where one Shadow was, more often followed. So, as much as I wanted to stay here and catch my breath, I couldn't.

I drew my baton and pressed hard on the pressure pad I'd first passed over- to my relief it seemed to be a one-time mechanism, so I sprinted across them without repercussion. I headed left and began a brisk jog back down familiar paths.

It was time to go back to the real world. I hadn't accomplished what I wanted to, but my map was more detailed than it was when we began, I'd gained enough money to adequately pay for my meals for the next few days, and I'd learned a little more about how exploring the Labyrinth was going to work.

That would have to do for today. Either way, I knew I would be back tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- Did somebody say Soooocial Links?**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Day 3**

I got the phone call the next morning while I was sat in my hotel room fast at work producing lock picks. Why yes officer, it _is_ rather suspicious that I went out and bought a ridiculously cheap second-hand laptop just for the sake of immediately surfing the web so that I could learn how to construct and use lockpicks for the purpose of opening up sealed treasure chests in what is basically mind-hell, what's it to you?

Long story short, I was called down to the desk by a bellhop to take my call from the Dollhouse.

"Parian has agreed upon a meeting, despite your… circumstances." The strict woman's voice said from the other end. "We have booked you in tomorrow at 7PM, after the shop closes. Knock on the employees only entrance and you'll be let in. Does that sound acceptable?"

"It does." I said, making a note to myself to physically write that down later.

"Excellent. Also, I recommend you get a burner phone."

"Yeah, I probably should." I added it to the list of supplies I definitely needed to grab, before hanging up the phone and proceeding to head back to my room to continue the web how-to that I'd pause halfway through. I was gonna head into the Labyrinth this afternoon, and I wanted to know what was in that damned chest!

XXXXXXXXXX

"Well, this sucks." I said, rather plainly. I would have kicked the chest if it wouldn't have hurt me more than the chest. I'd been kneeling next to this fucking chest for the last 30 minutes with my handmade Rake and Tension Wrench lodged in the chest trying to slowly open up the damned thing using the basic techniques I'd read up on all day.

Fun fact- it actually takes more than a few internet videos and some reading to get good at a skill, and at this point I was just prodding thick, metal paperclips into the lock and jiggling it while hoping for the best.

" _If it wasn't for the occasional Shadow attack for me to fend off and slay, I'd have been pretty bored by now."_ I mused, still fiddling with the locking mechanism. I was really on the verge of throwing in the towel until I either had the skills to pull this off or an actual key that knowing my luck was sitting in the stomach of some Shadow here as opposed to the usual collection of pocket change.

And then, a sound of faint jangling. I jerked to attention- my hands frozen. Could it be? Through my tedious repetition, had I…

Fiddling with the lock, I felt no change, so I rotated my equipment once more and listened in. I couldn't _hear_ anything particularly interesting from the chest, so where was that persistent sound coming from?

I slapped my face. "Fuck me."

It _didn't matter_ where the sound was coming from, but rather what it was. And if I wasn't causing that noise, then that meant something else was.

My equipment was pocketed, and I was already rushing back to the crossroads, and back down familiar paths, the sound growing louder all the while. I for one was frankly unnerved- aside from a single Hand Shadow that I took out with a well-placed double whammy of Cleave, I hadn't encountered anything, and yet that sound of something metallic scraping over something else…

Maybe I was being a bit premature, but I was going to head straight back to the entrance. That would make this day a flop, but when you are in a creepy ass place like this that really does feature the nightmares of humanity skulking its corridors, I felt a little bit justified in my caution.

And then I saw it out of the corner of my vision, and I immediately started to sprint. It was only a single glance, but it had been enough to fill me with an uneasy sensation of ill-ease. Because from what I'd seen of it, it was thin and many legged, and had _not_ been travelling via floors. That, and it dragged five massive trails of chain along with itself as it moved- which lightly brushed over the ground as it travelled. The largest of the chains attached itself directly to the back of its head, as if were little more than an extremely long ponytail.

" _I don't know what it is, but it's unlike the other Shadows I've seen so far. At the very least, it has to be stronger. I don't fancy my chances if I fought it."_ So, all I could do was run down the one safe path I knew, and hope that it wouldn't catch up.

A loud, brain numbing screech- somewhere between that of a bird of prey and a solitary wailing woman. I looked back and regretted it. At the far end of the corridor, I saw it properly for the first time since the chase began- its visage illuminated by a nearby swaying light fixture, capturing its form in harsh light and shadow. Half woman and half spider, clinging to the roof with its spindly, shadowy legs, while its right side up head was looking directly at me with its face straight out of the Ring. Hair of jangling metal, eyes sewn shut, serrated teeth and sharp chitin- it pointed its left hand at me, and with it the chain wreathed around the limb jangled. It had given its due warning and was now scuttling across the ceiling with alarming speed and grace.

There was no denying that I screamed, and happily increased my sprint too. Left, right, straight on… wrong turn, shit, WRONG TURN. Look behind- still on my tail, chains dragging and far closer. I was gonna have to double back somehow… surely one of the unexplored paths along my safe route would link up with one of the paths ahead somewhere, right?

I could vaguely imagine my map in my mind but was running too fast to be able to safely remove it from my trouser pocket. Maybe… left?

" _Not a dead end, at the very least."_ So I kept running, and took another left when I saw it. I was worried though- if I didn't find the right trail soon… my stamina was nigh on non-existent, and I didn't think I could keep this pace up for long.

In other words, I couldn't outrun this _thing_. No. It wasn't a case of if it caught me, but _when_.

"Fuck it! Dante, Agi!" I summoned my Persona, whom threw a fistful of fire at the creature- which tanked it without so much as flinching. I slowed it down a second, if anything.

So yes. Once again, I was in a bit of pickle. I vowed to do a Harry Dresden and take up jogging as soon as I could, if only so I could get some practice at outrunning things like _that_.

Janglejanglejangle. _"Yup. Still there and still horrifying."_

I needed a new plan. I needed _something_ to stop me from dying a horrible, horrible death.

Unfortunately, I had nothing. I hadn't started Social Linking yet, so I only had my single, beginner Persona (Which had done sweet naff all to this thing), likewise most of my 'equipment' was for mapping this place out or to try and recover from fighting here (Side note- my food theory was correct. It _does_ restore you).

Stuck. Caught. Trapped. Shit out of luck. Either I struck lucky on the next turning or I was boned.

And as if the heavens opened up and were about to stop shitting on me, upon the next turn I made, I saw a doorway. It was presently sealed shut- so it didn't lead anywhere I'd been before, but beside it was a lever to open it. And doorways lead places.

" _Whoever's up there, thanks buddy."_ I sent off a quick prayer and hoped one of the legitimate Megami Tensei gods wouldn't take offense and took the gift horse for what it was. I was all but out of strength, and I could barely breathe, let alone run. It was either this, or nothing.

I lashed out and shifted the lever as I stumbled past it, and the doorway parted before me like the red sea. Ahead I saw it- another temple-esque room adorned with a large, dark window and a pedestal topped by a ruby.

By now, I saw the pattern. "Hah- Dante… CLEAVE!" One final tug at my heart, and my protector emerged to shatter another window, and what I hoped would be another portal.

"KRYAAAAAAA!" The spider lady bellowed. It could apparently tell what the dark portal that now occupied the window frame meant and gave off one final burst of speed to try and catch up to me. Perhaps the novelty of chasing me had worn off, because in its pale palms lightning began to gather and shape and form.

" _Nopenopenopenope- oooh, shiny thing GRAB- nopenopenope."_ Final reserves of strength. One last dash. And another blind leap into the darkness, while behind me the room lit up a bright yellow as I narrowly avoided the potent Electric attack that would have struck me.

Again, I felt the familiar sensation of breathlessness as I passed through. I shut my eyes to await the end, and then I was through, and face to face with the edge of a table.

I barely had enough time to think _"Waita-what?"_ before I struck the surface and knew no more.

XXXXXXXXXX

By the time I found myself emerging from my sleep, it was evening. I knew that because there was a lamp lit on the bedside table, the window to the far left of me showed nothing but darkness, and my stomach had an awful case of the rumblings. "Fuck me... what happened?" I muttered to myself, rubbing my forehead and wincing as I felt the mother of all gooseberries. I could vaguely recall finding another room with a dark portal beyond its window (Like the one I first went through to reach Brockton Bay), and then passing through it to find myself somewhere...

"You fell and hit your head upon the dining room table." A gravelly voice replied, causing me to shout out in alarm. I hadn't noticed him sitting on a chair to the right of the bed- being surprisingly quiet and stealthy for a man who at first glimpse seemed to be more bear than man.

"Holy shit, you're big!" My mouth moved before I knew it was even moving.

I couldn't tell if he was bemused or annoyed- his angry looking face and thick beard masked anything other than the fact that he was large enough to take part in Worlds Strongest Man competition and probably do fairly well for himself. "I would recommend against excessive cursing when my wife arrives."

"Ah- fair enough." I said, noticing a threat well enough despite my state. "But yeah. You surprised me. And you are _really_ muscular. Like, damn."

Okay, now he looked bemused. "Anything else you want to compliment me on?"

"I can appreciate a man with fine facial hair. In a totally platonic fashion, of course." I told him bluntly, gesturing to my own face where the beginning of stubble was beginning to form due to not shaving.

He shook his head sadly. "If you weren't a thief I feel we'd get along well."

"Who you calling a thief?" I protested.

"Well what _else_ do you call someone skulking about your house with a jewel in his pocket?" Another voice spoke from the door, which was now wide open. In she walked- the apparent wife. A fair skinned woman, mid-thirties I would say, with black hair worn in box braids. If you didn't consider her stern appearance, then she would look every bit the embodiment of a housewife based upon the stained apron she was still wearing. And this woman unfortunately had a good point. I _had_ jumped through a mysterious portal leading me places unknown and ended up braining myself upon their table.

I gulped, rather audibly. "Would you believe me if I said I was very, very lost?"

"No." She said, almost sweetly, before gritting her teeth like a demon and beating her rolling pin against her free hand. "Now, start giving me reasons for why I shouldn't immediately throw you to the police for breaking and entering my home."

Okay. There were two ways I could go with this. One, I could bluff through my teeth and take that meeting with mister policeman. It would be disastrous, but it wasn't like telling the truth would be an option. Yeah- I doubted she'd believe me anyway. But then again, she seemed like the kinda woman to prefer the hard truth…

"How used are you to strange sh… strange _things_?" I asked.

"I'm an Alchemist. So pretty used to 'strange things'." She said, simply. "Why?"

"Okay, I'm gonna ignore that first statement for the moment." I said, not really wanting to question why this woman was claiming to be able to use Alchemy, unless she was a Cape similar to Myrddin who had powers similar his that seemed particularly magical. "I have a Mover power that operates strangely and that I can't really control which dumped me in your dining room without my consent, whereupon I immediately tripped and almost broke my skull upon your table." I said, because it was technically true.

The housewife was _not_ impressed, if the way that pin was hitting her palm was any indication. "I really don't know what you mean. You are going to have to start speaking sense. What do you mean by 'Mover'? How long will you carry on this charade before you tell me how you snuck into my house without my noticing, and _why_ you did so?"

"… okay. Not very knowledgeable about Capes. Fair do's." After all, I doubted Taylor knew everything about the Cape game before she became one.

"Speak. Sense." Tap. Tap. The rolling pin taps.

Now I was just getting annoyed. "Fine. You want to see strange shit? How's about I just _show you_ how I got here."

A moment of hesitation on her end. "How do I know you won't just use this 'Mover' thing to escape?"

"Get your husband to hold onto me. I try to escape, he breaks my neck. Or do your Alchemist shindig." I suggested. "Now lead me to your dining room and I'll show you."

So, I was allowed to get out of bed and was led through the quaint house by the housewife while the husband gripped my shoulder tightly enough for it to hurt. When we got there, I started to look around- inspecting the walls for a crack.

"What are you-"

"Ahah- there you are." I noted with some degree of satisfaction. A thin, long line running straight through the wallpaper of the wall closest to the table. "Prepare to have your socks blown off."

And then I tapped the scar, and the portal opened up.

"What the-!?" The wife shouted in alarm, taking a step backwards in alarm. I enjoyed the surprise upon her face, though the fear was something else.

"So yeah. There we go. I came here via that." I gestured at the black portal of vague evilness. "Give it ten second… and there you go." With nobody passing through, the portal shut, reverting to its scar shape. Both husband and wife looked rather surprised by what had just happened- as if they didn't quite know what to make of it.

"What the hell was that? And did you just leave a crack in my wall?" the wife was eventually able to ask, after taking a seat at the table- the one pointedly facing where the portal had been.

"I don't _think_ I made it. I suppose you could say that my Power is to tap into a predetermined series of portals, which I can travel through to get to places." I said, bullshitting my explanation. I hadn't exactly had time to think about it since I woke up, but my bullshit answer was actually pretty accurate. I'd found two rooms, two portals and came out in two different places. The Labyrinth had a network of portals. "It's like a maze in there, and this is only the second of such portals I've found since I started exploring my powers. Suffice to say, I didn't decide where this would open. I was just as surprised as either of us to appear here."

"And you expect us to believe that?" She replied.

"I honestly don't know." I admitted. "In this case, I decided to be transparent about things, because I figured that if anyone deserves to know it's you, since I _did_ accidentally open a portal into your house," and will likely need to use said portal again to return to Brockton Bay quickly "And you _did_ 'nurse' me back to health. Have no fear though. Not a burglar. Merely someone who ran too fast through a dark and spooky portal and smacked his head upon wood when leaving."

A moment of silence, as everyone considered my words. "He doesn't seem to be lying." The husband said, brusquely.

"I know." She replied, a little bit kinder than before, before turning back to me and being her standard stern self. "Are you being honest? Did you truly have no intention of appearing here? You have no particular purpose being here… merely coincidence?"

I looked her dead in the eye and said "Yes.", daring her to spot a lie in my eyes. And it seems… that she did not.

"I believe you." She told me, then gestured for her bear of a husband to release me. I rubbed my shoulder gratefully.

"Thanks." I replied. "For believing me and for… well, not turning me in immediately to the police and letting me sleep off that head trauma. How long has it been anyway?"

"You've only been out for a few hours. But don't feel _too_ thankful, however…" a dark smile found itself onto her features. "After all, I only wanted to interrogate you to see if I'd personally have to bury you."

"… you are a very scary lady."

"I know." Was her bright response. "But now that I know you are simply a rude guest who dropped in unannounced as opposed to a spy or thief, I don't have to chop you up into little pieces and bury you."

This time I turned my dead eyed expression upon the man. "… you have a _very_ scary wife."

He laughed and pulled her into a literal bear hug. "I know. And I love my wife dearly."

"Oh, stop it, Sig!" she cried like a damsel in the arms of her prince.

"No, you stop it Izumi!"

I could only watch the ridiculous display of affection going on. I had no clue where the hell those hearts and sparkles were coming from, but I was all but certain that it _had_ to be a Cape power at this point. _"… a man that burly and a woman that scary should_ not _be able to be described as cutesy and adorable."_

"GAH!" Izumi cried, suddenly choking out blood. It was as unexpected as it was morbidly amusing to see the stern woman do a complete one eighty from strong and hardass to slumping with a spurt of blood shooting out her mouth.

"Shit!" I said, rushing closer, my doubts pushed aside for the second. Now wasn't really a time to sit back idly narrating, and spitting blood is Bad, so… "Is she okay?"

"Relax. Its terminal." Sig told me, while softly leading his wife back to the chair, who was already wiping her bloody mouth.

After a minute or so of Sig hovering over her, Izumi finally seemed to recover, and gently pushed her husband's hands aside. Consequently, attention turned back to me, awkwardly standing by to one side. "So, what to do with you?"

"Uhhhh… please don't arrest me?" I begged, almost pleaded. "It was a mistake, honest! I can change my ways!"

"Now you just sound insincere, you brat!" Izumi yelled. "I'm not going to get you arrested! Although at this rate, I'm tempted to send you away _without_ feeding you."

Blink. Tummy rumbles. "You were gonna feed me?"

"From what I see, you being here is an honest mistake, and you don't look like you should be leaving without a rest. Anything else can wait until a guest's needs have been seen to." She rose from the chair, standing comfortably despite the apparent bloody coughing fits she'd had only a minute ago. "Now, you just sit here and wait, and dinner will be out here shortly. Sig, entertain our guest."

And so Izumi went off to finish dinner, while me and Sig sat across the table from each other in silence. _"Ahh- the awkward silence. It's the worst kind of it!"_

XXXXXXXXXX

Dinner was exactly as awkward as I had anticipated it to be, though Izumi certainly tried to make amends. I hated to admit it, but she was a surprisingly accommodating host, especially to someone that she had early today considered a thief until I'd shown her the entrance to the Labyrinth.

Speaking of which… it was at the end of the meal that she brought up the topic I expected her to ask about. "So, what exactly _was_ that… gate… anyway?" Izumi asked, her voice light and disinterested, though her tight grasp upon her spoon proved otherwise.

Again, I considered bluffing, but the truth had worked well so far, so I decided to be a little bit more honest than not. Igor _had_ told me to try and make bonds, and when it comes to friendship one should always be willing to offer a hand first.

"Well, I call it the Labyrinth." I began, prodding my empty bowl absently. "It's a wretched mess of winding corridors, and has small creatures called Shadows occupying it. I found out my power was to find a way in and started exploring its depths. Whilst investigating I met a Shadow too dangerous to fight and fled- at which point I found _that_ opening," gesture to the crack in the wall that was still there, "and leapt without looking."

"And those Shadows… can they get out? That is a gateway, and gates open both ways." Izumi said, bluntly.

Here I winced. "I won't tell you any lies, because I'm new to this myself. I haven't seen any Shadows outside the labyrinth, nor have I seen any Shadows that could open the gate. Hell, the Shadow chasing me looked downright pissed to have not been able to shank me, so I bet it would have followed me if it could."

She sighed in relief, no doubt happy that I hadn't accidentally led to her home becoming a pit stop for horrible monstrosities to drop in on while on the way to terrorise humanity. "I'm glad."

"As am I." Earth Bet was bad enough as it was anyway even without Shadows lurking the streets. Speaking of which… "By the way, where is this anyhow? We don't look to be in the city, so it would be cool to know how far I've travelled."

"Welcome to Dublith then, a small town in the south of Amestris." Dublith… Amestris... Alchemist…

THUD.

Head. Meet. Table.

"Are you okay!?" Came Izumi's concerned 'housewife' voice. "Is the head trauma acting up?"

"No. I just feel _really_ dumb." I wouldn't call myself a perceptive man, but this time I really had failed the spot check. It should have been obvious the moment she called herself an Alchemist, and doubly clear when I knew her name.

A scary woman named Izumi with a bear of a man as a husband, whom has a terrible habit of coughing up blood at inopportune moments and who claimed to be an Alchemist.

I was in motherfucking Fullmetal Alchemist. This woman before me was the person who taught the Elric brothers. That gateway had led straight into the Fullmetal Alchemist universe.

For a moment, I was stumped. I didn't know what to think. The metaphorical carpet had been tugged out from underneath me. Just when I'd thought I'd started to settle into my present role, something new crops up. And this wasn't just a minor case of oopsies, or a new element I hadn't expected. This was something as fucking large as an entire _UNIVERSE_.

" _Shit. This was clearly a Persona adventure, so when I found out the Labyrinth opened up into Brockton Bay I felt really confused. After all, did that make it a crossover or something? Why was I there? But now I see… I think. If the Labyrinth could open up into one world I considered fictional… then didn't that imply that_ maybe _the Labyrinth could open up elsewhere? And so here I am, in another world once considered nothing but a story."_

I was going to have to rethink this whole mess. It turned out that I wasn't in some strange Persona AU that took place in the Wormverse, exploring a Labyrinth. I was instead a Persona protagonist exploring a Labyrinth _that specifically opened up to the Worm universe,_ and which now seemed to also include the FMA universe too.

And now, I had two points on a graph, so I had to wonder exactly where else this Labyrinth may lead. _"This isn't a Crossover. I may as well fucking call it for what it is- this is a Multicross. And if I don't find more paths leading to other worlds, then I'll eat my metaphorical hat!"_

"You look pale. Are you sure you are okay?"

I shook my head. "Nothing a good sleep and headbashing session won't fix. Sorry for blanking you out. I'm just… well, I'm rather far away from where I last was." Entire universe away- an entire concept away from what I assumed.

"In that case, will you need to stay the night? You don't look to be in a condition to navigate this Labyrinth place, especially if it is as you say… inhabited. And we do have a free room."

"Thank you." I said, a smile upon my face. I may have been struggling a little with the new _circumstances_ that had already shifted my little understanding of the Labyrinth, but at least I didn't have to sleep on the streets tonight. "If you're offering, that would be greatly appreciated. I would prefer to face the Labyrinth with a good night's rest first."

"Very well then. You'll be staying the night then." And that was that. I spent the third evening of my Supernatural Adventure hanging out with the Curtis family. I had the suspicion that this wouldn't the last time, either.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 4**

Morning found me awake and active, bright and early. I'd been lucky to end up stumbling into the household of a family like the Curtis' who was willing to house a stranger like me for the night, but I couldn't afford to stay for too long. As curious as I was about the multiversal nature of my adventure, there was still shit to do- sitting around worrying wasn't going to help me at all.

Afterall, I already knew that all the answers I could possibly need lurked at the bottom of the Labyrinth. I could return here later if need be.

Maybe. If Izumi doesn't beat the shit out of me for coming back to her house unannounced again, thinking me a robber.

"So, this is it then?" Izumi asked, waiting in the dining room for me. "When you're gone, will the scar fade away? Will this be the last I hear from you?"

"I don't know. Maybe the scar will fade with time, or maybe it was there before I so much as tried to open a gateway." I told her. "Suffice to say, I'm gonna damn well try and find my way back to the other gateway today." Brockton Bay currently had all my shit in it, and I figured it was a better base of operations than anything else at this point. Because I like my modern conveniences and _not_ being in Fantasy!Germany. "But… if I can't find my way back to the entrance in time, or if I end up meeting that scary Shadow again, would it be fine if I made my way back here instead?"

Izumi looked deep in thought, as she pondered an answer. "How scary are we talking?"

I waved my arms in front of me like an octopus. "Almost _that_ scary."

She patted my shoulder in sympathy, no doubt thinking back to her own encounter with a dark and scary entity within a Gate. Man, now that I knew that she was an FMA Alchemist and not a Cape, that really gave our first conversation a whole metric fuck tonne of context, huh?

"Well… let's just say that I wouldn't mind it too much if you had to come back." She gave me a shaky smile. "I'm still not too sure what's happening here, and I am absolutely certain that this mess isn't Alchemy related, but… you seem to have a handle of it. For now. But if you ever need a sensible adult to talk to about it, then I think that I wouldn't mind feeding you."

A sensible, unrelated adult that I could talk to about my problems? That sounded surprisingly good- Izumi had a good head on her shoulders and had been an excellent teacher to the Elrics. An invitation to visit her wasn't something I'd turn down- not when I knew that she was just brimming in wisdom, and when I knew that I'd need _someone_ to talk to who was at least peripherally aware about this whole Shadow business without being a denizen of the Velvet Room. "I'd like that, Izumi."

And with that, the metaphorical, emotional heat in my stomach became the physical supernatural kind. I'd felt this sensation once before, but it very much took me by surprise. The world darkened, and before me I could sense a faint image appear before me- a card displaying a holyman surrounded by four cherubim taking the form of a lion, a bull, an eagle and a woman.

This feeling… I had just made a bond of the Hierophant Arcana! And with it came a newfound well of power deep inside me which I just _knew_ I could tap into.

The timeless moment was gone almost as soon as it started, and the world moved on with only myself aware of the momentous event that had just happened- my first proper Social Link! Eeeeeek.

"You okay there?" Sig asked, after I had been standing there with my jaw open for a good ten seconds.

I manually shut it. "Yup. Just rather excited, I suppose."

Izumi rolled her eyes. "Don't be back too quickly."

My grin was shaky, and I gave her a 'so-so' gesture, before hefting my rucksack and reaching out to tap the dark scar. "We'll see. We'll see."

One final look at the couple, and then I stepped back into the depths of the Labyrinth.

With relief, I noted that there were no enemies waiting outside to jump me as soon as I entered, and the spider woman was gone too. I was all alone, in an unchanged room.

Well… unchanged for a single, welcoming door of blue now occupying the corner of the room. "Well, with an invitation like that, how could I resist?"

I entered the Velvet Room willingly for the first time yet.

XXXXXXXXXX

It was a very different experience entering the Velvet Room of your own volition as opposed to waking up within it. The sensation of passing through to the realm between the mental and material plane was very similar to jumping between the real world and the Labyrinth- but in reverse. Instead of a crushing, all encircling feeling, the Velvet Room gave you an embracing, all-encompassing feeling. A sensation of belonging and returning to a familiar place- tranquillity and peace.

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room." Igor announced, already gesturing to the waiting chair before me.

"Hey Igor." I said, taking the seat. I paused, and then amended my statement as an afterthought. "And hello to you too Lavenza." I'd spoken more to Igor at this point, but that wasn't to say that I _didn't_ want to talk with the cute attendant, but more that she seemed to be happy to patiently wait in silence until she had something she wanted to say.

"Good morning, Dreamer." She replied pleasantly, offering a small smile. "I admit that it took you longer than I expected to find a bond, but I am glad that you have."

"Ouch." I said, without much venom. Say what you will, but that was both the most-polite way someone has ever called me socially incompetent. The most-friendly way, _and_ the most savage way too. All in all, rather impressive.

"All that aside, it _is_ a pleasure to have you back." At least Igor was happy to see me. Though, the fact that I was taking pleasure in that fact was sad in of itself. "Especially now that you are finally in a position to utilise our services."

"Sweet. Fusion time?" I rubbed my hands together eagerly.

"Not exactly." Lavenza shook her head. "Could you please try to call upon the newfound strength within your heart?"

"My Hierophant Bond?" I asked for clarification, and she nodded. I tried to do as she said and focused on the power of that bond and felt a similar sensation to when I prodded at Dante's power. I could see where this was going and prepared to unleash the wellspring of power I contained. "Persona!"

As expected, my power surged forth and took on a shape different to the warrior-poet that was Dante. Instead, a far knightlier figure appeared, atop a brown horse. It was only the small details that hinted towards its darker history as one of the Great Dukes of Hell, such as his piercing yellow eyes, the darker tone of his armour and the aggressive stance of the horse. I immediately knew which Persona this was. How could I not? He was a part of me, and I him.

"Berith." I identified him as he rode around the room in a clear loop before I cut off the stream of power responsible for supporting him and watched as he faded back into the sea of my soul.

"As you can see, this Persona is a direct representation of your bond with the woman known as Izumi Curtis, just as Dante represents your bond with the Velvet Room and my master." Lavenza explained slowly and precisely, making sure to impart as much as she could in as little words as she could. "This is a little different to those Wildcards you remember, is it not?"

"Well, now that you mention it…" I trailed off, scratching my chin in deep thought. I'd only played Persona 5, but I knew 3 and 4 through the anime/movies and was at least peripherally aware of all the games to know how they rolled. All three of them didn't actually gain Persona from a Social Link until they maxed out the bond, and even then they only gained the _right_ to fuse them. They had to physically go out and catch themselves their Personamons.

"Indeed. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but you _cannot_ collect new Personae, Dreamer." Igor concluded dourly.

"I'm sorry, _what_?" I asked him, almost angrily. "What do you mean by that?"

"You are a Wildcard, but you are also not a natural Fool." Igor stated this as bluntly as one would say 'the weather is cloudy' or 'the cards lie'. "You became a Fool upon the beginning of this journey. Consequently, you cannot turn the Shadows you face into new Personae, nor can you fuse away the Persona you presently possess as one cannot so simply lose or transform a _bond_."

Head, meet table. Again. "Dang it. Just my luck that I'm apparently the only MC-kun so useless he can't even do something as simple as Fusion." I mean really, no fusion? I might as well pack in the towel if I can't so much as ditch my early game Persona when they become outmatched, let alone fusing Persona strong enough to stand up strong in the endgame.

"Do not give into despair so easily, Dreamer." Lavenza was the one to direct the conversation this time. "This may sound rather unfair to you but remember that all cards played in Tarot have good points and bad. Yes, you lack the characteristic ability to create an infinite number of Persona as your contemporaries had, and yes, you may be unable to take advantage of our fusing services as well. But that doesn't make you _useless_."

I opened one eye, forehead still on the table, to see Igor quietly chuckling at me. "My assistant carries much wisdom it seems, Dreamer. She is not wrong."

"So then, what can I do?"

"Our previous guests had the power to make Social Links, which they could use to both create stronger Persona and strengthen the ones that they fuse. But you however gain a Persona upon the creation of a Social Link which is _directly proportionate to the strength of that bond_."

Directly proportionate… did that mean?

"Oh yes, I think you see what I mean." Igor's smile was wide and knowing, and my own face was starting to show a similar expression. "As your bond increases in strength, so too will your Persona. New abilities, resistances, and skills. Perhaps even a change in its base nature, should the bond mature enough. A less flashy use of the Wild Card perhaps, but one that it is just as valid."

" _I see. It's not exactly what I wanted, but I can't say that it sounds bad."_ I admitted. Just having the ability to wield multiple Persona in of itself was a rather rare talent. While I wouldn't be able to min-max fuse the best Persona or summon continually stronger Persona, I _would_ be able to continually strengthen the Persona I begin with.

"Oh fuck. I am literally powered by _friendship_." To a degree even more so than that of a normal MC-kun. All Minato or Akira has to do to become stronger would be gaining a few levels so that they could Fuse a marginally more powerful Persona, but me? Noooooo- I actually had to go out and make friends and empower those bonds if I ever wanted to get shit done.

The servant of the Velvet Room gave me what could only be described as a shit eating smile. "Why, you could almost say that… Friendship… is Magic?"

"… you are _very_ lucky that Lavenza is such a ridiculous little miss badass." Because if not, then he would have _definitely_ gotten a smack for that one. "So yay. I have friendship power. Which is nice, I guess, and kinda _forces_ me to go out of my way looking for Social Links now. But if it's the case that I cannot use the Velvet Rooms services for Fusing Persona… since I cannot lose my bonds so easily… and since I cannot use your services to resummons old Persona... _since I won't be losing any…_ then what CAN the Velvet Room offer me?"

"There are still _two_ services we can give you." Igor explained. "Firstly, we can still help you call upon the more supressed Persona of your choosing, since you can't very well go around holding _21 Persona_ at once, can you?"

"Nope." Well, probably not. If Igor says so and isn't blatantly lying to me, then it's probably true.

"And there is one service that the girls once called Caroline and Justine offered to their Joker that you can still benefit form." Was Lavenza suggesting what I thought she was? "Solitary Confinement… or as I like to call it now, Empowerment."

Solitary… oh… was that mechanic where you could lock up Persona for an amount of time to gain new passive skills? Yeah- never used that. Though since its all I have, I suppose I should get what usage I can out of it.

"So, how will Empowerment work for me? Let's just say that I don't want to lose any of my Persona just yet. Not when I will need all the firepower I have to get through the Labyrinth today."

Here she smiled at me. "I would be happy to explain. You may leave a Persona with me when and if you chose to. Given enough time with me it shall learn new abilities and skills to aid you in battle. Luckily for you, since we of the Velvet Room feel guilt for being unable to assist you more, we have decided to… loosen restrictions, so to speak."

Left eyebrow raising protocols have now been engaged. "Before you had my curiosity. Now you have my attention."

"Now that I have returned to a single form I have far more power available to me. Consequently, I am able to teach Persona a greater breadth of skills- some they may not be able to learn for a long while and may even be able to enhance their stats too. It should be noted that it takes me a lot longer to provide permanent statistical boosts and unusually strong abilities, and that even with my power there are some limits to your Persona that I will not be able to improve upon."

I couldn't help but let my inner glee slip out. "Sounds peachy to me. I will look forwards to working with you when I have more Persona to offer."

"And I you, Dreamer." Lavenza said, seemingly truthfully. I was glad that she'd be able to help me, anyway, even if it wasn't in the way I'd initially hoped. I needed all the aid I could get, and if Empowerment was the way, then so be it.

KA-CLICK. This time I knew what to expect, as this was the third time it had happened to me. That timeless sensation, the darkening of the world… a Bond was forming between the two of us. It was fragile and fleeting, and mostly based upon server and client, but it was there.

I had just made a Social Link of the… _Adjustment Arcana? "What the hell is the Adjustment Arcana?"_

"Oh my, a Social Link?" Lavenza blinked in surprise, her dainty hands held over her mouth in shock. "I did not anticipate this, though perhaps I should have considering… well, I did not think I would become the confidant of a second Wildcard."

"Well, Hakuna Matata. We have a bond now, so let's just get along."

She inclined her head. "I suppose we must."

I clapped my hands together in satisfaction. "Anyhow, this has been satisfying. Some answers, along with a new Social Link? What could I want more? Well, unless someone would be able to explain to me why my Persona adventure is _somehow_ am Multicross story now?"

Because I was still very much upset at that little revelation, thank you very much. In the words of Monty Python, this was getting too silly now. A little bit of foreshadowing never hurt anyone, nor did easing into it a little slower than 'whoops- you're in FMA now. Guess you're in a Multicross. Try not to Spacebattles the multiverse'.

Igor shrugged in a 'who, me?' manner. "I am afraid that I cannot answer that question. The Velvet Room comes to its guests when they are in need, not the other way around. All I can say for certain is that you will likely visit other worlds during your journey, and that if answers exist as to 'why', then they too lurk in the depths. _Seek them._ "

"Figured." I rose from my chair, tucking it back under the desk as I turned. No easy ride here, nosiree. "Well, if that's that, then I shall be off. I'll see you around?"

"Indeed. The Velvet Room will always be available to a guest that requires it." I gave one last incline of the head before I headed to the exit, swiftly passing through back into the claustrophobic hellscape known as the Labyrinth.

"Well, this should be fun." I said, drawing my baton and tapping it against my palm in anticipation. Because I'd just gained a new Social Link, and Lavenza's bond had given me my first proper Healer- Angel.

It was time to get back into exploring this floor. I needed to find the entrance to Brockton Bay again. I had an interview at 6PM, you see, and I had the sudden desire to try and Social Link the _hell_ out of Parian.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- Did anybody ask for Moar Social Links? Because I've got Social Links for days, son.**

 **Chapter 4**

"You are late." The shopkeeper said, glaring at me as I stood panting before her. I surely looked like a real mess- my clothing was torn up considerably, my hoodie was gone completely due to the damage done to it, I'd been sweating like a madman and had yet to shower because I came straight here from the Labyrinth.

I had been fighting in the Labyrinth all day, trying to find a way back to Brockton Bay. All. Day. In truth, it had taken _three_ distinct pushes into the Labyrinth to return to Brockton Bay, each ended with a frantic chase sequence courtesy of Itsy Bitsy Terrifying.

The first trip lasted about an hour and featured me just trying to map and find landmarks- more accurately, since my initial flight away from that Shadow had taken me off the routes I'd already mapped down, I needed to either stumble across the correct passageway by luck, or find the still locked chest, so that I could actually figure out where the actual hell I was in relation to the only map I actually had. I was effectively working on a second, distinct map, hoping to navigate enough paths to be able to overlap it with the other one, or stumble upon the correct destinations via luck.

I'd been doing well until the Grey Lady appeared. Or, by her longer and more accurate name, The Fucking Spider Lady From Before, but I had chosen to bequeath her the title of Grey Lady if only so she sounded slightly less horrifying to my ears. The minute I started to hear chains I knew time was up and immediately started to backtrack, seeking to escape back to the safety of Izumi's house. I had no clue why she showed up so much later than the first time, but she appeared all the same, and induced the same pants-wetting terror as she stormed after me. I made it back to the entrance with plenty of time, luckily.

I was far less lucky the second time. My second excursion happened after a few hours of resting at Izumi's to try and regain and recover my energy- I effectively could only effect to attack via Physical attacks, as I needed all my SP to pay for Angel's Healing spells. Lavenza's Persona was a literal life saver, I'd tell you. The second time I heard the ominous trailing of chains I was far further away from the FMA gateway than I had been before, and actually ended up taking a single one of the Shadow's attacks while fleeing.

A Zio technique of some kind, straight in the back. I was infinitely lucky that Angel Resisted Electric, because if not, that attack may very well have killed me.

And then, I tried to give the Labyrinth one final try, and finally got lucky enough to stumble across the treasure chest. After that, I only had to worry about keeping one step ahead of the Grey Lady as she chased me all the way back down that original path and into the gateway to Brockton Bay.

Which brought us back to the present time- me stood outside the Dollhouse, coated in bloody, sweaty, torn clothing, with several still unhealed wounds, and being looked at like I was some kind of criminal. "Don't you even fucking start." I warned her, perhaps a bit more curtly than I would have normally done. "You do _not_ want to know the trouble I went through just to get back here today."

"I see." She said, though she very much didn't. "Very well then. Parian is still here and waiting, and I am sure she shall see you despite your present… state." She turned her nose up at me and ushered me inside. This time I was coming in from the back exit reserved for employees, so skipped the storefront in favour of going straight to the backroom. It was filled to the brim with clothes racks, boxes and the occasional miscellaneous teddies- all of which gave me sudden flashbacks to that one time I chose to play FNAF.

She then pointed towards another door- hinting that the meeting would be held in there. I took a quick moment to do what I could to neaten myself up- readjusting my hair, brushing stray dirt from my jeans and trying to position my shirt so that it wasn't as potentially scandalous. It didn't work very well, and I very much wished at that moment that I'd said 'fuck it' to this meeting and gone back to the hotel room still under my name so that I could shower and change.

" _Welp, nothing for it."_ At this point, I would make a bad first impression irrespective, so all I could do was improvise and hope for the best. So, I opened the door and entered the meeting room.

She sat at the end of the table, rather impatiently based upon her posture. Parian herself looked about as I expected her to- a Victorian style, white dress, a porcelain mask and blonde curls I knew to be a wig. I couldn't see very much of her at all, and not one speck of skin, but despite that I could see how she wasn't in the best of moods. "I see that you showed up."

"I did." I replied, quickly sliding into the chair across from her. "Very sorry about that. I came as fast as I could."

"And you couldn't ring us up and tell us that you'd be late?" she said, partially in chastisement but mostly in irritation. "I've been waiting here for forty-five minutes. You are _very_ lucky that I am still here."

"I know. And I would have rung if I could." Except that I'd been in an alternate universe for most of the day which kinda put a stopper on things, and I hadn't expected to be stuck there so I hadn't purchased a mobile phone yet either to ring once I _did_ make it back here. "I physically came here straight from the job I was on." I gestured to myself.

The masked face titled slightly, as if properly looking at me for the first time since I sat down. More accurately, she looked at the state of my shirt, and all the cuts and bruises I still had. Because Dia could only heal so much, and only completely healed lesser wounds, and by the halfway point of my third venture of the Labyrinth of this day I was already all out of SP due to an ambush from a few Shadow Hands that required me to Agi them.

"As in, straight here?" She asked for clarification.

"Straight here." I reaffirmed seriously. "Yesterday while in the middle of my job, something unexpected happened that kept me away from transport and communication for awhile, so I tried to finish as fast as I could to get here."

Parian still didn't look happy, but at the very least my explanation had pacified her for the minute. "And what job was it, anyway?"

"I'd rather not say." I countered immediately. "We all have our secrets, but I can say that this was a job which wasn't illegal."

"You said it's not illegal, not that your job 'was legal'." She pointed out.

"Well, it's all you're getting." I said stubbornly, because I didn't intend to tell her any more. "It hasn't hurt anyone and doing it hasn't broken any laws. I can only think of one morally questionable thing, and that's mostly just the method that I'm paid." Because adding gold and jewels to a closed economy _can_ cause problems.

"Fine." She said, rubbing the sides of her head with both palms. "Why do I feel that business with you will only serve to give me headaches?"

"Because you were unfortunately blessed with common sense." I told her, almost sadly. Woe is her, for she would always be cursed with being a mostly normal person surrounded by crazy people thinking the crazy is normal.

"Give it to me straight." She ignored my little joke, instead pressing straight to the matter. "Will me doing business with you bring trouble my doorsteps."

"No. My job and actions while operating as a Cape should not come back to bite you in the ass, unless something greatly changes about my circumstances." I could tell her this with complete sincerity. My enemies were Shadows and so had absolutely no ability to interact with Parian, while I presently had no desire to pick fights with the gangs of Brockton Bay unless they hit me first. I wasn't doing much proper 'heroing', in other words, so she wouldn't even get bothered by the gangs for outfitting a hero. Likewise, no villainous activities means that there would be no issue from the PRT side either.

"In that case then, I believe we should be able to do business. If you can afford to pay, of course."

"Why, I'm glad you asked." And then with a cheery smile, I unzipped my bag and pulled out the precious cargo I had been stashing at the bottom. I slapped the ruby that I'd pilfered yesterday out on the table.

"Is that a ruby?" Parian asked in shock.

"Yup. My 'job' pays me pocket change most of the time, but sometimes I manage to get my hands on stuff like this as a 'bonus'." I bullshitted, gesturing at the jewel. "I have no clue how much its worth, and the source I went to sell for the last one probably didn't pay anywhere near what it was worth, but the point still stands."

I could hear Parian's audible gulp. "Are you sure you aren't working for a criminal?"

"Probably sure." Unless Igor was actually Fakegor, then I was probably fine.

"I'm guessing you want to use this as a deposit?" she asked me.

"Yes. I have no clue how much the ruby is worth, nor do I know the exact cost of one of your costumes, so I'm flexible. It may take me some time to rack up the complete funds, but I should be able to pay you off eventually. And I'm flexible too, so I'm willing to pay you in 'favours' or something along those lines if you ever need hired muscle."

Despite the mask, I could still sense the raised eyebrow of the woman sitting across the table from me. "I am a Rogue, a _clothes designer_. I do charity work, animate giant teddies and sometimes do puppet shows. Why would I ever need 'hired muscle'?"

"This is _Brockton Bay_." I said with emphasis. "Nazi capital of the USA and what not. You never know. Not to mention, I meant that I can help in more general ways too. Lifting stuff, filling in for missing personal, running errands, using my supernatural powers for completely mundane utility. Really. I'm pretty flexible. Heck, I'm even a minor healer! Consider me a… mercenary? Something like that."

Parian hooked her hands together and looked away. For a good minute she was silent, probably thinking things through and coming to a decision. "I can't exactly do much with this jewel. I know a few Tinkers who might appreciate a gem of such good quality, but it would take me time and effort to sell the jewel and any others you might bring in future- you understand that this effects just how much jewels and other such things are worth as credit."

"I'm aware. I still think that I'll get a fairer deal from you than elsewhere." I told her honestly. I knew Parian was a businesswoman, but she was also a _good_ woman. She was probably one of the most moral members to ever join the Undersiders, and I couldn't imagine that she'd short-change me.

My gesture of trust must have surprised Parian, because the only way I could describe her posture was incredulous. "We've only just met. I could very easily screw you over. You yourself said you have no clue of how much these things are valued."

"I am aware. I'll trust you all the same."

"That's pretty dumb."

"I know."

A glare from her. "That will bite you in the ass someday, you know? You shouldn't always trust in the intentions of your friends, let alone that of complete strangers."

"I'll deal with that when the day comes." Because suspicion would get me nowhere. Admittedly I knew a lot more about her than she knew I did, but at the end of the day trust begets trust, and you sometimes need to take the plunge first before someone else will reciprocate.

"Well, that's your loss then." She crossed her arms irately. "You are just lucky that I consider myself a fair woman. Very well then. I am willing to construct your costume for you. I will use this gem as your upfront fee, add a finder's fee to your bill, and allow any leftover payments necessary for your costume to be paid off in the future. I will put a little trust in yourself to pay it."

I smiled graciously. "Thank you. I am truly in need of some proper protective clothing, so that will be very helpful." I gestured to my present state of attire. "And if it turns out your costumes are exactly as good as I think they'll be, then perhaps you will end up with a repeat customer when I inevitably need a repair."

"It's a deal then." Parian stood up and stepped around the table, offering out a gloved hand to shake. I wiped my hand upon my sleeve and shook it.

KA-CLICK. I'd almost say I was getting used to it, even this early on, as the world froze and darkened to symbolise the bond just forged of the Lovers Arcana. New power formed inside me in the form of my newest Persona, Leannan Sidhe.

The moment ended and the world ended. I had a shit eating grin on my face, but I felt justified in smiling so. Three Social Links formed today! _Three!_

"So, now that the business side of things has been sorted out, I suppose I should lead you into my parlour." Parian said. Then with a flick of her hands I saw almost invisible threads twitch, and a nearby door open. _"huh. Those threads had been all around this room the entire time? Well, I guess it would be silly to meet an unknown Cape without having a few protections in place. A room filled with invisible thread, and probably a few hidden teddies somewhere for her to control or bring into the room."_

"Is it time to design the costume?" I asked her.

She turned back to me with a look of amusement. "Yes. Yes, it is."

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 5**

Yesterday had been a stressful day. One upon which I almost died waaaay too many times. In fact, I would argue that it was three times as stressful as the day before that, as I encountered the Grey Leader thrice as many times, so I kinda felt justified in being a little bit apprehensive about going to the Labyrinth.

I was at the entrance when I thought to myself- 'huh, maybe I DON'T have to go into that murderous death hole each and every single day?'.

And so with that revelation, I decided that I could take a day off from trawling. After all, I had made major progress the day before when I'd been able to explore a massive swath of the first floor and even find a point of connection with my initial map.

Whistling jauntily, a spring in my step, I decided I'd treat myself to a dinner out today with all that hard earned Shadow dosh I'd made, combine my two separate maps by drawing the whole thing anew, and then spend some time practicing my lockpicking upon my hotel door (While hoping nobody comes past me while I worked and rightfully started asking questions about how I planned to use my #MadLockpingSkillz).

It was a peaceful plan of action- and I for one thought it was well needed. Because I knew that I was only 5 days into a very long venture, and the last thing I wanted was to burn out before I even hit the one-week mark.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 6**

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, Dreamer." Spoke up the familiar voice of Igor, already beckoning me towards my seat.

"It's nice to see the two of you too." I said with a smile. "Hey, dumb question, but why is the Velvet Room inside the Brockton Bay exit today? I thought that the door was supposed to be outside of Dublith?"

"The Velvet Room need not have only a single door, and I suppose you could say that while Lavenza provides services in the form of Enhancement, my gift to you is flexibility. We shall retain only a single venue in each world you visit, but we shall always place a door for your use at whichever entrance to the Labyrinth you select."

"That sounds… convenient." I noted.

Igor's grin said it all. "Exactly! Now, how can we help you today, Dreamer?"

"Could I not just visit because I miss the two of you?" I told them forlornly, a mournful tang in my tone.

"I do not know, but from what I have seen of you, that would be rather out of character." The blonde attendant said this quite thoughtfully, a fingertip-tapping away at her chin as she put serious thought into it.

I rolled my eyes. "All seriousness, I came here for some Enhancement."

"Indeed?" Lavenza's eyes lit up in excitement. "Oh my, this shall be quite exhilarating. My first real chance to offer Enhancement to a guest. I certainly hadn't expected you this to ask this soon."

"Me too, but I figured I should play things safe and start early."

"In that case then, who do you wish for me to empower?"

"I want… well, would you strengthen Berith for me?" I asked. As much as I liked the design of Berith and his ability to buff my defence via his skill Rakukaja, he was unfortunately outmatched at his present power level by Dante. I still felt the most comfortable in wielding my initial Persona, and he was my sole Agi user at the moment, so I needed him and his element more than I need Beriths buffs.

Here's hoping some training would do him some good- at least until I visit Izumi again and boost her Social Link.

"Certainly, I can do so. If you consent, then we can begin immediately." She looked to me, perhaps for visual confirmation before she began. Upon my distinct nod, she smiled at me, and offered me her hand. I took it and felt something rather… bizarre. It was draining, feeling some of that power in myself leave my body at the behest of another and flow down my arm in a wreathe of flame and down into the former warden. Behind her I saw the Persona manifest, with Berith atop his demonic horse, before fading away and leaving me Lacking.

"Shit, that feels strange." I commented, prodding my torso as if that could somehow show me just exactly how much of myself was gone.

"Perhaps I should have warned you in advance?" She said aloud, before shaking her head. "No. Better to allow you to experience it personally. You have parted with a fundamental portion of yourself, even if it is only temporarily, and naturally that has consequences. One should not lose too much of themselves…"

"Lest it remain permanently gone." I finished for her. "Well, as odd as it feels, I hope the results are worth it. When will I start seeing returns?"

"Oh, I'd say that you should return in about… a week? Yes. That sounds like a good amount of time. I do hope you will be pleasantly surprised by the time we are through."

"I do hope so." I muttered, hoping I wouldn't regret losing my sole buffer.

"Is there anything else we can do for you?"

"I don't think so. Not unless you suddenly have any miraculous revelations to bestow upon me, or have a tonne of magic lockpicks lying around for me to deal with that ridiculously stubborn locked chest?"

"Afraid not."

"Figured. Welp, in that case I'm off to explore the Labyrinth and likely risk my life in the process."

"I believe the correct pleasantry here is for me to wish you luck on your expedition." Lavenza told me with a cute little bow. "As such, 'good luck'."

"Thanks, I suppose." Hefting my rucksack back onto my shoulders, I gave a final farewell, and then I returned back through the velvet door into the Labyrinth. Today I hoped to venture closer towards the Dublith exit of the Labyrinth- I figured that I would be spending quite a lot of time travelling between different worlds in my attempts to deal with Social Links, so I hoped that finding a quicker route between the two worlds I presently knew of would pay off in the future.

My present path was waaaaay too roundabout for my liking, trailing around like a curving snake, doing a steep arc to get to where I wanted to be as opposed to the straight path of my dreams.

I cracked my knuckles and began to walk. "Heigh ho, heigh ho, I suppose that it's off to work we go~"

XXXXXXXXXX

"Fuuuuck." I groaned, my face pressed sideways against the glass window. My body ached all over- it had _not_ been a good day. You forget that traps exist because you only found like _one_ of them guarding a treasure chest, then the next thing you know you stumble into the one place on the map where dart guns are freakin' everywhere. The worst bit is that I must have accidentally missed triggering one through sheer luck, so when I made my last-minute mad dash to the entrance upon hearing the clitter-clacker of chains, I inevitably ended up triggering the fucking thing.

I'd ended up spending a good five minutes in the alleyway just trying to tug that fucking dart out of my ass.

So yeah. I'd had better days. And it just _irritates_ me that even after I leave the dungeon my day just doesn't end, as my hotel is far enough away from the entrance that I actually need to take a bus to get there.

And then I ended up taking the wrong damned bus. Because 61 and 67 looks very similar at a distance and when you're tired and just wanting to go mask your shame in the comfort of your own private room.

" _Look on the bright side, Theo. All you have to do now is sit here for another thirty GODDAMN minutes while you wait for America's abysmal public transportation system to take you to the depo, and then you can actually take the correct bus back to your hotel… likely after a massive stint in traffic since its just about the right time for school to break out."_

I'll repeat it- this day could have been a hell of a lot better, and I could think of a tonne of better things to do with my time as opposed to sitting in a noisy bus overflowing with annoying teenagers- _screw the fact that I myself was one of such annoying teenagers_. Because I'm a hypocrite and proud.

"Waitasec… teenagers." Teenagers + school-rush-hour = …?

I pulled my head away from watching the passing traffic to try and crane my head over the other passengers to get a glimpse through the other window. There, bright as day, read a clear sign: "Winslow High".

" _Which means that this is the school SHE attends, huh? I wonder if she is… oh. Yes. There she is."_ People were still piling onto the school bus, but now that I was looking it was very easy to find the person I was looking for. After all, the only thing I had to do to locate her was to try and spot the most miserable looking girl in the crowd. And Taylor Hebert looked _horrible_. Hunched over to appear a smaller target despite her above average height, plain and colourless clothes, curly black hair that distinctly looked soggy today, and a grim look upon her face that you'd sooner see upon a veteran of war- for this _was_ her war.

The crowd around her jostled her, and it was almost too easy to see even the casual bullying as she was jostled by the people around her pushing their way down the bus. And then she stopped by my seat, and she must have seen me looking, because she winced and looked away. And yet, she didn't move. I turned my attention away from the girl who would save the world and realised that despite starting in the middle of the crowd, she had bene pushed to the back by various people, and it seemed that by now all the seats were claimed or taken up by assholes leaving their bags upon them.

Assholes like me, who had my own rucksack besides me.

"Here." I found myself saying before I even meant to and pulled my bag onto my lap. She looked at me with open hostility, as if she was certain that there had to be a catch. One quick look around confirmed it- that the seats were all taken. Or if seats remained, she was unwilling to go for them, and the bus was already setting off.

Finally, she sat down, and I looked away- pointedly making sure not to stare at her. I considered trying to talk to her, but I had no idea what to say. 'hey, you don't know me, but I know enough about you to make most stalkers jealous'. Maybe 'hey babe, wanna help me save the world? Doesn't have to be the whole world'. Or perhaps something way more normal like 'Meep. Hi. I'm totes your biggest fan'. But screw it all, I just didn't know where to begin, or how to come across as anything but a creep.

More than that, I couldn't help but regard her with scepticism. Because… just how likely would it be that on the one day I ended up travelling to and coming back from the Labyrinth earlier than normal, that I would also take the wrong bus that just so happened to pass by Winslow High, and they just happened to be breaking up for the day when my bus passed by, and then the main character of this universe just so happened to end up sitting on the seat next to me?

Admittedly, I personally caused the final event, but it still seemed unusually contrived. And yes, I _know_ that MC-kuns in previous Persona games have had way more contrived meetings… but I couldn't help but wonder if something out there really _could_ pull strings to make shit like this happen more often.

I couldn't help but picture a Velvet Room taking on the shape of a movie theatre, with Igor and Lavenza sat atop a comfy sofa and watching the antics of my life like a soap opera. It was a funny thought, but it wasn't one that helped me with my present situation.

Because even though the universe had literally thrown the opportunity to talk to Taylor at me, I still hadn't made a decision whether I was even going to try and talk to her.

It had been a very real problem on my mind since the get go when I first saw Vicky and Amy enter that coffee shop on the first day- just how ethical was my interference in this world? Was it the right thing for me to try and intervene in events I knew that would pass? Just how much of a responsibility did I have to this world?

This hazy dilemma had only gotten worse with time. At first, I'd been under the assumption that Worm was the only world involved so I'd been scared of intervening and accidentally causing canon to change too much- eventually causing the end of the world via Scion's hand due to just how close the world had been to absolute ruin, and how only a few very specific actions of a few individuals had ultimately made the difference.

But now? Now I also had to take into account that Worm wasn't the _only_ world I could meddle in. There was Fullmetal Alchemist, but I doubted that this would stop at just two worlds. If I helped Earth Bet, was I obligated to also assist Ed and his group in saving his world? Did I have to do it for every world I visited? And could I really afford to spend the time doing so, especially when I had my own potentially apocalyptic scenario to deal with concerning the Labyrinth?

" _Worm and FMA ultimately had good endings. Not necessarily_ happy _in the case of Worm, but the world kept on turning, and their respective endgame threats were stopped. So even if I have the_ ability _to try and improve things, should I, especially when it takes me away from the threat I should be focusing on, and could even make things worse?"_

Though, to play devil's advocate to myself, 'the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing'. _"GRRRGHHH! Damn it all! I thought that I'd have longer than this to reach a decision!"_

"Can you stop looking at me already." A voice spoke, interrupting my inner freak out. I looked at Taylor, who was somehow both making a good attempt at trying to make herself look unintimidating and small, while _also_ showing me exactly how uncomfortable she was.

"Umm, I'm sorry?" I said, not really knowing what to say to that.

"Those side-looks." She explained, quietly. "I just… its nothing." I'd stopped staring at her, yes, but I _had_ continued to steal glances at her when I thought she was distracted, out of the corner of my eye or in the reflection of the glass. As silly as it sounded, Taylor was one of my all time favourite characters and I only respected her even more now that she was real, so it was almost with fanboy admiration that I looked at her- knowing the many things this girl would someday accomplish. Could accomplish.

"I'm sorry for looking." I said. "You reminded me of someone, of something, and I was just trying to picture what it was."

"I see." She said, though her eyes very much said she didn't believe me. She didn't call me on it however, instead withdrawing inwards and looking away. I looked around and realised that more time must have passed while I was deep in thought, because already a good half of the passengers I'd seen cramming the bus were gone.

I realised that I was running out of time, and fast. Taylor would have her stop, and then she'd be gone, unless I was willing to try and practically stake out the school to try and get another meeting with her, which would only increase the odds of her thinking me a stalker. _"I don't know what to do. Whether to let her suffer everything that she goes through, just to make sure she does her job correctly of saving the world… or stepping in and trying to do a good thing even if it means the world might falls apart. Either way, meetings like this won't come up very often, and sometimes it's better to take a chance than to regret lost opportunities."_

Igor's words fluttered back to me like the butterflies he was oh so fond of: 'Try to have the courage to seize a bond the _next_ time you discover one'. I couldn't help but feel like I'd missed an opportunity somewhere, and that I would likewise regret not taking this chance.

Here and now, I had not yet made a decision whether I was going to try and change things. But either way, I was going to try and befriend Taylor, because I would regret it if I didn't even try.

"You look like you've had a bad day." I said, immediately regretting my choice of words.

Taylor looked back at me, quite annoyed that I was actually initiating conversation, and I saw her personal shields arise without her even trying. "I don't want to talk."

I winced at her words and tones. She looked at me as if I was just waiting for the chance to kick her when she was down on an already bad day- perhaps she even mistook me for a student despite me being three years older than her. "Ah- umm… fair enough. I just thought-"

"Did Emma put you up to this?" Taylor finally said, almost resigned. "To get you to save a space for me, maybe try to be nice to me and get me talking? This isn't the first time she's done it."

I frowned at her words- as if I would _ever_ do something for Emma Barnes. I had a very special place in my heart for those that betray another, and an even special-er place for _friends_ that betray another. "The only Emma I know is my five-year-old cousin." The truth. I knew _of_ Emma Barnes, but I didn't personally know her. "I know this sounds dumb and unbelievable, but I honestly just saw that you looked down, and wanted to see what was up."

"I don't want your pity." She said, almost as a whisper, as she looked around. Lucky for her, it seems that out of school the other students still here had all but forgotten her across the journey, while The Trio had not taken the bus. If I hadn't stared or spoken to her, this very likely could have been one of the few trouble-free bus rides she would have had with so many students about.

"It's not pity. Its empathy." I told her.

"People don't help strangers without reason. We're all selfish." Taylor said, with the air of a woman both far older and wiser than her age. She'd known much hardship even before she took up the Cape life, and I didn't blame her for her attitude, even if it was causing me problems.

"That's true. I do have selfish reasons for wanting to talk to you, though it's hardly the motivation you'd assume."

Another frown. "I don't know what Sophia has said, but I'm not a… not a…" whore, I mentally filled in.

My response was a wince- this conversation was going _well_. "Not _that_ either. If you must know, then my motivation is guilt. You might not believe me, but when I was in secondary school I got bullied quite a bit too, and I always wished that someone had reached out, even if it was just to lend a sympathetic ear. So, when you sat next to me I was kinda trying to weigh up the pros and cons of whether I should get involved in a matter that clearly isn't any of my business, or just leave matters alone."

"You should have done the latter." She told me, bluntly.

"Fucking hell!" I couldn't help but groan. "It's like talking to hedgehog." I'd known that It would be hard to get past her outer shell, especially as even with super insight it had taken Lisa forever.

"Then don't talk to me. You don't know what it's like." And then she said the magic words- the magic words I _really_ don't like. "People say they do, but they don't."

"Don't ever tell me what I do and don't know." I told her, sternly. I hated the term to death, but I was so fucking _triggered_ by her words. "No. I don't know your whole life story." Technically true. "But I can guess enough. I'll be blunt. You look _miserable_. Like you've had the fight beaten out of you long ago and are just waiting for the days to count down until you can leave. And guess what? Maybe I _do_ know what you're going through. Because maybe the world is big enough for more than one person to draw the short stick when it comes to bullies."

Taylors eyes were still filled with suspicion, but that glare was tempered with an emotion I couldn't quite identify. At the very least, she was listening, and wasn't shooting me down immediately. I had one shot it seems.

"I _was_ bullied in school. Don't even fucking tell me otherwise. I know my own life enough to know that it likely wasn't as horrifying as your own experiences, but I _wasn't_ very happy for a good part of my teen years." I didn't often like bringing it up or thinking too much about it, but this wasn't just a backstory I'd plucked from thin air for the sake of sounding sympathetic to her. Certainly, I had more motives than just sheer, good-natured desire to help her, but one of my motives _was_ that I could sympathise.

Years five through ten I had no real friends amongst my classmates, and only really had bonds with those in younger or older years, or from outside school completely. And those years _had_ affected me and hit my self-confidence to such a degree that I only really recovered during my A-Level years when I moved school. And heck, since I'd read the story of her life and spent one and a half million words looking at the world through her eyes, seeing her suffering through her own very biased glasses, I very much _did_ know what she was going through and could compare and contrast as appropriate.

"So, long story short, I'm not just _saying_ 'I totally understand what you mean'. I kinda do." I finished a little bit awkwardly. "Yeah. Maybe it's strange that a complete stranger like myself is trying to butt in, and you will likely still tell me to fuck off, but I would have regretted saying nothing more than I will probably regret this whole conversation. At the very least, I just want to say that the offer to talk is available. And even if you don't accept, that you aren't as alone as you think, and that there are plenty of those like you crammed in their own hidey holes or having only recently just pulled themselves out of them."

And with that, I'd said my piece, as rambling and nonsensical as it had been. I'd taken the plunge and told her of my own experiences, even if they paled compared to what she had and would go through. I'd given her an offer of a sympathetic ear. More than that, I'd tried to show that I was more than just talk, and that I very much _did_ want to help- even if for selfish reasons.

It was completely up to her if she accepted the helping hand she offered or turns me away. In fact, I almost wanted her to do the latter. If she bats this metaphorical hand away, then I can sadly shrug and say that I'd tried and continue on my merry way as the train wreck of canon continues- comparatively satisfied that I'd given her a chance.

A minute passed on in silence. I would have assumed that Taylor had declined my offer and was ignoring me if it wasn't for how intently she was looking at me from behind her long hair- trying to analyse me- to see just how honest I was being. Finally, she took one last look around (Just to make sure that nobody had overheard our rather heated if quiet argument), before she spoke. "I… it won't help but… have you finished school?"

"I finished my A Levels a few months back. That's the British version of 'final exams before university', and now I… well, I suppose you could say that I'm taking a gap year before I begin properly." I explained softly.

"Then…" another furtive look around. "do you know how to _survive_? I mean, if you got through it all, right?" She asked, with a certain hint of desperation in her voice. She tried not to make it obvious, but I knew what to look for. She was on the edge of the abyss- remarkably close to falling head first off it. The Trigger Event is known as the worst day of your life for a reason, but even that worst day is just the nail in the coffin for a miserable life, and that Trigger Event was barely two months away.

"Our circumstances are different. I admit that the bullying disappeared when I swapped schools, so I don't exactly have the magical solution to your problem." I told her, sadly. "But I suppose that I do have some advice- talking definitely helps. I only made it through my GCSE's because my mum was nice enough to listen to my rants every odd day."

"I… my mums dead." Taylor mumbled, looking a little pensively at me, no doubt wondering if she should have trusted me with that knowledge.

"I'm sorry to hear that." I instead said, not laying on my condolences thickly, as I knew that my platitudes wouldn't help or make her feel any better about her loss. "And I'm guessing that you can't really talk to your father? God knows that Ididn't talk to _my_ dad about it." Emotional capacity of a brick, and the tendency to immediately hear a complaint then go out and try to solve a problem you very much don't want him messing with. No thanks.

"Yes." Taylor replied, not giving too much away.

"In that case then… well, if it's not too presumptuous, you could always vent at me." I offered.

A raised eyebrow. "You're right. That was presumptuous."

I rolled my eyes. "No names or commitment. I'm just saying that my afternoon is surprisingly free today, and I am available for a guilt free, completely neutral and sympathetic discussion." Because it sure beat going home and seeing myself fail once again at trying to unpick even the simplest of locks, while helping relieve Taylor's stress even a little bit would help me deal with my own guilt for not interfering further.

"No commitment?" She clarified.

"Nope." I said, popping the p.

"There's a coffee shop about two stops down from here." Taylor noted.

I tried to offer a reassuring smile that I just _knew_ had failed. "Coffee sounds good."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- Another day, another update. Enjoy?**

 **Chapter 5**

Taylor wasn't much of a talker, once we sat down. In fact, I'd suggest that the meeting was just as awkward as dinner with Izumi, or my terrible first impression with Parian… so it was really par the course.

"Well, that situation definitely blows." I told Taylor reassuringly. Her story had been hesitant and intensely lacking, told piece by tentative piece, only really touching upon the general points of her situation: her treatment at school, the apathy of the staff and other students, some examples of the less horrible things done to her, and of The Trio that made her life hell. She didn't mention any of the serious things, like how the Emma in her story used to be her best friend and had stabbed her in the back, or how her mother's flute was broken, and her memory used as a weapon against her.

I didn't expect her to tell me- not a stranger. She was probably sensible for maintaining a certain level of caution with me. Sure, I meant absolutely no harm to her, _but how could she know that?_

"Any _actual_ advice?" Taylor asked, cutting to the root of this issue of why she was even humouring me.

"I think you're taking the right precautions." I told her. "I'd say that from the sounds of things, you do everything you can to limit exactly how much damage they can do to you, and that its probably wise not to lash out." Because while it might earn some respect from Sophia and Emma, they were just as likely to use it as cannon fodder against her for daring to stand up to them.

"But… is there _anything_ else at all?" She repeated. I knew she was still hoping for some miracle answer… but there wasn't one. It was just that simple- sometimes there isn't an easy answer.

"Nothing that you would be willing to do or can do in your situation. Can't change school, can't change the rules or get external intervention, can't fight back, can't run, no allies to turn to… all you can do is endure."

"Then this conversation was useless." Taylor told me, almost bitterly as she took a sip of her drink.

"Not useless." I denied. "I won't patronise you by saying that a problem shared is a problem halved, but just the act of _venting_ helps. And even if there isn't too much I can advise you to do inside of school, outside of it is another matter."

A look of surprise. "How so?"

"Well, I hate to be blunt, but you need to get a life." It was harsh, yes, but true. "Man is a social animal, and the only reason we get through each and every shitty day is because we look forwards to the good shit at the end of it. I used to do a lot of gaming and reading to cheer myself up, but the thing that helped the most was making a few non-school friends and getting some hobbies."

"Hobbies? Seriously? _That_ is your advice?" Her tone was so incredulous it was unreal.

I scowled. "Don't knock it until you've tried it. You need something to actively look forwards to at the end of the week, and you need someone in your corner, no matter who, so go and bloody look for them. Join a drama society. Volunteer somewhere. Attend a book club. Pick up online gaming, or frequent chat forums. I myself took the drama route, before promptly going 'fuck it' and running off to the nearest tabletop store." Aaaah- I had some fun times there. "Doesn't matter what you do, so long as you have _somewhere_ that's a safe space, and someone you can talk to that has sweet fuck all to do with school."

She snorted. "Emma would just find a way to ruin it for me."

"Maybe." I acknowledged her words. For all I know, Emma could stumble across her doing this, try and mess it up for her, or something. "But it can't be any worse than how it presently is. You are _breaking_ under the pressure. You may not notice it, but you are."

"You… you may be right." Taylor finally admitted, perhaps a little sheepishly. "I mean, it can't hurt, right?"

I clapped my hands together in satisfaction. "That's the spirit. It may sound dumb, but even the most pessimistic of person needs _some_ amount of optimism. So, try it, and see what happens."

We lapsed into silence, and retrospectively chose to focus upon our drinks to avoid picking up the conversation. But, eventually drinks run out, and you can't be distracted any more.

"I suppose this is it then." Taylor said, flicking her empty coffee cup. The drinks were finished, the conversation had, and goals attained. I'd gotten her to vent to me and in turn relieved some of my own guilt concerning her and the many other denizens of this world I was still deliberating over helping, and she'd gotten some of the advice she was looking for even if it wasn't quite what she wanted.

So, the only thing left to do was to bin the drinks and make our own separate ways. The transaction was over.

"I suppose it is." I replied, gathering the empty cups and putting it alongside my empty plate on the tray we'd been given. "I hope that this has helped, and that my company hasn't been _too_ boring."

"It… wasn't as bad as I thought it would be." Taylor admitted, and that was probably the best I'd get. "So, thank you." She made to leave, grabbing the tray and taking it over to the bin- and sliding its contents in. But she paused at the door, giving me one last look. It lingered, and then she was gone, passing through the door and out onto the street.

I sat there a moment longer, watching out the window, and tapping my finger against the table. _"Well, we got what we wanted. Who knows? Maybe Taylor will actually take our advice and may end up getting some support/friends out of the mess."_ Hopefully nothing bad enough to fuck the universe over with this small, miniscule case of intervention… I could hope. _"So, despite this, why do I feel like this is an ending I cannot accept?"_

It was at this moment that I was going to do something stupid and spontaneous, and that it would probably be thrown in my face, but…

I grabbed my bag, slung it over my shoulder, and rushed out the coffee joint. I quickly scanned the crowds around me, looking for that figure that I just knew would be able to quickly slip into the crowds and far out of sight, but I _had_ to look. And there- I saw her. Quickly walking away, hands in her pockets and face down, but I recognised the hair that was still damp from whatever had been dumped on her today.

It may have led to a few harsh looks, but I practically ran after her, just managing to catch up to her before she was able to cross the street. "Hey!" I exclaimed.

She looked back, and her face fell. "Why are you-?"

"My name is Theo." I told her. "We'd agreed for that meeting to be a confidential, one-time only thing. For you to vent to a stranger, and nothing more. We did that. Fair enough. But… I don't like leaving things half done. So that's my name. And that café- I liked their hot chocolate, so I think I'll go there again. Same time, same day, next week. If… you want to talk again, then I'll be there."

With that, the lights went green and the crowd started to cross over the road. Taylor looked at me and the road, giving me a lingering look, before rushing away without another word.

I shook my head and turned away. "Fucking hedgehog." I muttered to myself, not at all offended by her refusal to answer. Taylor was a very private person, and I'd made a very persistent attempt to get past her outer walls and had all the necessary knowledge to make a damn good attempt at it.

At the very least, I didn't consider this meeting a waste, and all signs indicated that she thought the same. The proving nail in the coffin, however, was the newfound fire I could feel in my heart as darkness spread across my vision and illuminated a card in my mental gaze which depicted a man suspended upside-down by a noose around his ankle- for I had a newfound bond of the Hanged Man Arcana.

I shook my head as the sensation ended, and the world continued as it always did, the busy crowds moving around me with nary but the occasional glare for me occupying the sidewalk and not getting a move on. "Heh. I suppose I'd better schedule that down… or better yet, actually buy a diary and _then_ schedule that down." Because I was fairly certain that I'd see Taylor again soon.

" _I think I'll try to be a friend to her. Whether I decide to change her life or not, whether I prevent her Trigger Event or not, whether I ever tell her… I think that either way she would appreciate having another friend."_

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 10**

"Angel, Hama!" I commanded, flourishing my hand lightly as the winged woman manifested behind me. A ball of light gathered in her hands which she then lobbed at the red beetle before me. It was almost anti-climactic to see the one-hit-KO move in action- especially against an enemy like this.

Still, it was heartening to see the Shadow burn away amidst the golden light. _"An unreliable attack, but useful against those unable to dodge."_ I noted to myself, bending down to scoop up the discarded coins formed from its corpse into my bag. I also found a vague shard of something that I pocketed too- as all RPG monsters are wanton to do, sometimes Shadows drop items too, though so far they haven't left anything particularly interesting for me.

"Still, let's see what we have now…" for this Shadow had been stronger than the regular tier of Shadows on the first floor- I'd almost call him a pseudo mini-boss if it wasn't for how easily the Bless skill took it down. Consequently, as mini-bosses do, that beastie had been guarding a treasure chest.

Jangle-jangle. Locked. "As expected." With a sigh I took out my lockpicking set, though I already knew how this was going to go. Still, I had to get lucky _eventually_ … right?

" _No more than five minutes."_ I promised myself. I still wanted to do some exploration, and I wanted to leave enough wiggle room for myself so that the Grey Lady wouldn't catch me off guard again. I'd almost call her a familiar presence if she didn't still scare the bejesus out of me.

In the end, I spent _seven_ minutes tinkering before throwing in the towel and moving on. All this encounter had done was let me add another 'X marks the spot' to my map- leaving me with two potential treasures to open up.

XXXXXXXXXX

" _Another_ exit?" I said, whistling lightly to myself. I was starting to spot the pattern at this point- a lever to open a sealed door, with a pedestal on the inside with another jewel ripe to claim, and a darkened window behind it.

Another doorway to what was likely another world. Was it just me, or was it a little odd just how quickly I'd found a _third_ world to explore? Not even two weeks in, and already I have another world to figure out. I felt a little like a level 1 MMORPG player thrown into a new game- except every single expansion pack had been tossed to me at once.

Still, I for one wasn't going to complain about the jewel, nor the exit. I had nothing special planned for tonight, and I just _knew_ that the Grey lady was going to be here soon, so I was almost happy to see the window. My only real hesitation at this point was probably about just where exactly it would lead. With _Worm_ as my starting world, it was kinda hard not to expect the other side of the portal to be something like Warhammer 40K or something.

"Cross our fingers… and be ready to punch. Yomotsu-Ikusa, Cleave!" My Hanged Man's Persona manifested (a Japanese Yomi spirit armed with a spear and a bizarre helmet that unfortunately brought to mind Pyramid Head), whom slashed through the window. I took the plunge, to see what would be on the other side.

First thought- the floor hurts. We have become rather close to each other as of late, and yet despite how often I pass through portals I seem to still land face first a good half of the time. "So undignified." I muttered to myself, getting to my feet and looking around. I'd emerged from a wall like before, but the style seemed far less modern and far more Japanese. Around me were unfamiliar trees I couldn't name, and to either side I saw that the walls stretched on.

" _Please let this not be Naruto, with this being the inside of a clan compound, please let this not be Naruto. I am NOT friendshipping Sasuke!"_ Mostly because it doesn't work. Still, there were bullets that needed biting, and it wasn't like I was defenceless. It hadn't been relevant yet as I hadn't sought out trouble outside the Labyrinth, but I definitely had the power to defend myself if necessary. I'd had ten days to tinker in my free time, and it was relatively simple to bring out my Persona in the real world and even utilise their spells, although I could definitely feel the difference. The real world was just… harder. A Persona isn't a natural part of it- not like the Labyrinth, where mental manifestations appear seamlessly. In game terms, I suppose I'd say that the cost of techniques outside the Labyrinth was doubled, and I tired far more easily.

So. Not useless.

I followed the inside of the wall to the very end where it went out at a full ninety degrees and followed it a bit more too until I was just at the edge of the tree line.

" _Yup. Definitely getting Naruto vibes."_ This area reeked of Japanese culture, with pagoda rooftops and men dressed in the attire of monks milling about. No ninja, but you know, they're _ninja_.

"Can I help you?"

"NINJA!" I screamed, spinning wildly, my arms raised in what could feebly be described as a fighting stance. The monk who'd caught my attention from just outside my vision could only laugh. "S-sorry." I said and did a little half-assed bow in apology. He didn't seem impressed by my execution, but he also didn't look offended.

"So, what brings you to this corner of Ryuudou Temple?" He asked. "I didn't notice you enter."

"I can be rather quiet." I replied, parsing in the temples name. I knew that name though…

"And this corner?"

"I dropped a contact lens." I bullshitted.

"How did it get here?"

I shrugged. "Are you a monk or the Spanish inquisition?"

"You are lucky I recognise that reference." He smiled.

" _Wait a tic- not Naruto. Because Naruto doesn't have Monty Python in it!"_ Though obviously since Monty can do no wrong, Naruto would obviously be better off with it.

"Would you like some help finding it?"

"Finding what?"

He looked at me sceptically. "There was no contact lens, was there?"

"Guilty as charged." I admitted.

"So, why are you here?" He pressed on, not giving me any leeway.

Still, what was I meant to tell him? The truth? He wouldn't be able to handle the truth! And Izumi was the exception, not the rule. _"What do we say? Anything? Anything. Yeah. I'll just say it with confidence!"_

"I was taking a leak." I announced, triumphantly, before immediately recoiling at my own words. _"Shit! When I said anything, I didn't mean_ that _."_

"You came to this holy temple… and hid in a corner so that you could urinate upon one of our trees?"

It sounded really bad when he put it like that, but it was unfortunately still better than him suspecting something else. "I drunk far more than I realised and got desperate."

He gave me what could only be described as a look of confused horror. "We're monks, not savages! We live here twenty-four seven! And this is the 21st century! We _do_ have toilet facilities, you know!"

"I'm a tourist. American. Did you expect anything else?" I said, namedropping the most universally loathed type of tourist off the top of my head. He said 21st century, so this is probs an Earth variant of some kind, at least.

"I shouldn't have." He said darkly. "So, now that you have… finished… can I help you, today?"

"Well, after this embarrassment, I may just go." I said.

He gestured behind himself to where the exit was- through a great wooden gateway. "Well then, please enjoy the rest of your _holiday_ in Fuyuki City. We _look forwards_ to seeing you again."

Fuyuki City? _"Aaah shit. This is the Nasuverse, isn't it?"_

I almost wished for Brockton Bay at this point. Worm was bullshit, but Fate was Bullshit. Or was it the other way around? Long story short, they both sucked ass in many, many ways.

XXXXXXXXXX

I'd almost say that the worst thing about appearing in the Nasuverse was probably the increasingly ridiculous conversations I was going to have with those monks as I came and left. I really needed to up those social stats of mine, because it seemed like I was botching more conversations than I was passing.

"Tell him you were pissing? Why don't you get yourself a visitor's ban while you're on it?" I chastised myself, as I walked around Fuyuki seemingly meaninglessly. Honestly, I had no clue what I was doing, and was really only exploring because I was curious and because I didn't want to spend any time hanging around the temple when I still didn't feel quite up for making a return trip back through the Labyrinth. The last trip had been a long one as I really tried to just keep going in one general direction to see how far I would go- consequently, it would be an equally long journey back.

There was also the fact that I didn't know exactly when in the timeline I was, so I really wanted to figure that out since I figured I would be spending quite a bit of time at the temple. It was important to my health, since when the Fifth Grail War kicks off then a certain witch from legend would take up lodgings there and probably _not_ fail to notice my comings and goings. _"Which is just bad news in general."_

So, timekilling, and general eavesdropping. From what I can remember from a map of Fuyuki I once perused while researching a Fate Stay Night fanfiction, I was presently in the western side of Fuyuki- the older and more traditional side as opposed to the more modern Eastern side. The only things I could remember of importance being on this side of the river was that all the main teenage characters lived here, the temple was here, and that their school was here too.

Speaking of which… _"Schoolchildren. Or rather, teenagers. Meaning that big building over there is Homurahara, and this is closing time."_

With an exaggerated shrug, I decided to settle down on a nearby bench and just watch the world pass by. There was no real goal for me being here today- except a desire to get out of the temple and look about the place. And maybe also start some god damn Social Links. Now that I think about it, I was pretty much just loitering in public places in the hopes that my protagonist powers would kick in and attract Social Links to me like flies to honey.

"Oh, cousin! I didn't expect to see you here." A voice cried out, immediately catching my attention. Standing a distance away from me was Tohsaka Rin with her false mask of class idol planted firmly on her face, and her posse of friends milling about her.

"Wow. This was convenient." I said aloud, fully aware that it really _was_ convenient that through sheer coincidence Rin would be leaving the school just as I arrived. Really, I'd been planning to just loiter and let the cards fall where they will, but this was interesting too.

Though the fact that Rin was calling me 'cousin' was suspicious. Either this was an AU with a ridiculous OC character thrown in, or more likely she could tell something was off about me and was giving me an out to talk to her without breaking the masquerade.

"Cousin? You've never mentioned him before." The darker skinned girl said incredulously.

"I'm from England, so it's not like we interact much. In fact, I'm sure it completely slipped her mind that I would be arriving, since this visit was arranged such a long time ago." I bullshitted. It was only as I spoke that it suddenly hit me that I shouldn't have been able to reply at all. I realised that she had been speaking in Japanese, and that so too had the monk, and that I hadn't even noticed. Likewise, I felt like I was speaking English, and yet I could definitely tell that they were hearing Japanese instead.

Very convenient.

The girls still looked incredulous, but Rin looked steadfast. "I'm afraid that I won't be able to walk with you all. Still, I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

And with that, Rin began walking and I expectedly followed after her. We walked in silence, until we were finally far enough away from eavesdroppers for us to properly talk. "So, what brings a Magus to my doorsteps at such short notice?"

I raised an eyebrow. So she assumed I was a Magus? I figured as much based upon how she'd bothered singly me out to begin with, but I had to wonder where she got that from. "How could you tell?"

She raised an eyebrow of her own. "As if you were being subtle. I noticed you almost as soon as I left the school. It would be harder to ask how I _couldn't_ notice you considering how you've been giving off Prana since I first saw you and are _still_ giving it off."

I didn't have an answer, so I merely shrugged, hoping she'd form her own conclusions. Still, I was giving off prana? _"That doesn't sound right. The only supernatural thing about me is my Persona and that's not exactly magic per say. I assumed that if anyone was to figure out I was abnormal it would only be when I was actually using my Persona. Still, now that I know that I'm somehow having languages translated for me, that might be it."_

Or, it could be a reason that I couldn't possibly know. Either way, Rin had somehow felt something magical about me, and so had naturally assumed I was a Magus.

"What business do you have in Fuyuki?" Rin asked, sternly, after it became clear that I wasn't going to reply. "The fact that you were outside the school meant you were waiting for me, right? If this is Second Owner business, then surely you could have contacted that Priest first."

In truth, I had no purpose being here, but she'd be even more suspicious of me for saying so. In that case then, there was only response I could give: a hastily constructed lie. "I wished to ask the Second Owner of Fuyuki to set up a Workshop." I told her, rattling off the only formal reason I knew of for the average Magus to need to seek out the Second Owner of a city- to get permission to operate on their lands.

Rin's eyes narrowed. "And why, oh why, did you think you could just waltz in here and ask? As I said, there are procedures to be followed."

I scratched the back of my head. "Sorry. I'm a bit of a Magecraft newbie- first generation. I'm from England, but I haven't studied at the Clock Tower. I don't really know all the formalities."

Rin sighed. "Fine. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt, since you aren't even a _second generation_ Magus. In that case then, since we're both here, I may as well hear you out. So, why do you want to set up in Fuyuki and why should I let you?"

Now _that_ was a set of questions, even if it wasn't _the_ question. Really, the thing I needed to answer was just what excuse sounded reasonable for me being here. "I was attracted to Fuyuki by the temple." Technically true- I wouldn't be here if am opening didn't occur at the temple. "And I liked the idea of being in a quiet city where most of the big Magecraft names wouldn't be around to boss me around." Also true. The Nasuverse had a metric fuck tonne of Magus', and I doubted I would like to meet any of them. If I were a native of this world, I would probably prefer to be in a city with a minimal Magus presence (Mostly).

She nodded her head, taking my words into account. "And what are you willing to offer me in order to allow you to settle here? Why should I accept an unknown on my land, without any letter of recommendation or guarantee that you won't be a problem?"

I decided to go with my guts for a change. "Here." I reached into my rucksack and liberated the jewel I had only just obtained from the Labyrinth, then tossed it to Rin. With a squawk of alarm she immediately flung herself in the way of the gem that I had hastily thrown, grasping it quickly before it hit the floor.

"H-hey! Watch it!" she stuttered, bringing the gem to her chest before stopping in alarm- maybe realising that blindly catching something a stranger throws at you just because it's valuable might not be a sensible idea.

"Relax. No mumbo jumbo here."

She briefly analysed my findings, before accepting my words with a small sigh of relief. "Anyhow, would this be a suitable payment?"

"As a down payment." She said, a serious look back on her face. Negotiations had begun, and Rin the Second Owner was in the house. "And what of guarantees of your character? How do I know that you aren't actually a fugitive from the Mages Association hoping to hide out in the middle of nowhere?"

"You really can't." I admitted. "But I can honestly say I have no hostile intentions, and that my research will be of no danger to anybody in Fuyuki." Mostly because _there was no research._

"For a Magus, you look remarkably honest." She acknowledged.

"First Generation." I remind her. "And I really don't see any benefit in lying to you."

Rin seemed deep in thought. "I don't _see_ any initial problems with you being here. What kinds of research will you be performing?"

"Should you be asking another Magus that question?" I pointed out.

"G-good point. This is my first time doing an interview like this, you see." Rin said, quickly backtracking. "Anyway. Where will you be lodging in case I need to find you?"

"Not sure." I admitted. "Any recommendations?"

Rin looked stupefied. "You decided to set up here without even _researching this!?_ "

"It sounds silly but it's true." Alas, spontaneous lies often mean that no research can be done.

"Well, I hope you don't expect me to provide you lodgings!" she yelled, almost incredulously.

"That would be immensely presumptuous of me." I agreed. "So, any ideas?"

"Just hypnotise someone to stay with them."

"My Origin prevents me from using spells like that."

"Tch!" Rin's persona had long since slipped. "What kind of a Magus are you!?"

"A fairly bad one." I said, almost proudly. "For the moment, put down my location as 'undetermined'."

"I can't just do that!" She protested. "As a Second Owner, it is my responsibility to know who passes through my city, and where they are!"

I gave her a 'what can you do' look. "Well, I guess I can leave for now and come back when I know?"

"You damn well better." She muttered. "Because you aren't staying in Fuyuki until you have a permanent address set up."

"May I at least have your permission to frequent the city so that I can search for a place and so forth?" I instead asked. I didn't really need or want a Workshop, but I figured that for now it would be better to instead have the ability to come and go- especially since I couldn't stay in Fuyuki for any long length of time due to my responsibilities and Social Links elsewhere.

"Fine!" She threw up her hands. "You have permission. Now don't make me regret it. Just make sure to let me know if you're visiting… preferably by telling my guardian first."

I heard the word 'preferably', therefore I am gonna take that as optional. Any excuse to stay as far away from Kotomine Kirei (The slimy git) as possible.

"I will do my best." I said with a smile. "Anyway, I guess we'll be seeing more of each other in the future then?"

"I can't wait." I couldn't just sense the sarcasm in her voice- I could taste it, it was that sarcastic.

It was tentative and grudging, but I'd gotten Rin's permission to visit Fuyuki, and she'd accepted the possibility of seeing me in the future. In other words, there was a connection between us now, no matter how small- that of a 'Magus' with their potential Second Owner. And for a lonely Magus like Rin who had basically nobody around her age to talk to about Magecraft, this grudging acceptance could perhaps turn into something more.

A shroud of darkness over my vision, and a glowing card that contrasted against it. A bare man with wings on his feet, two snakes at his head an eye of Horus overlooking them all. A cautious Social Link of the Magus Arcana had been formed.

"With that, I'll be going." Rin huffed, looking away. "I'm a busy woman with plenty to do, so make sure that you don't bother me unnecessarily, you understand?"

"I understand your words." Though, I certainly had no desire to follow through with them. After all, how else am I to strengthen our bond unless I relentlessly bother the recipient until they tell me their life story and let me use the Power of Friendship to help them overcome their problems?

" _The life of a Persona Protagonist is one of the meddlesome busy-body whom stalks people until their problems are resolved."_

"Is there anything else then?" I inquired briefly.

"No. Just… keep out of trouble."

With that, our meeting ended, and we went our separate ways. Content with the new Social Link, I returned to Ryuudou Temple to take the long road home.

The conversation when I arrived was exactly as awkward as expected.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- Wow. I've had this sitting on my laptop for like two weeks. Shit- how did I forget to post this again? (Looks at the story I was crossposting) … oh yeah.**

 **Anyhow. It's here now! Enjoy.**

 **Chapter 6**

 **Day 12**

"I've been looking forwards to this." I told the secretary, whose name I still hadn't learnt. With a whistle and a smile, I stepped into Parian's parlour.

"You seem to be in better condition today." She gestured to my non-torn attire.

"I am." I replied, saying no more. Honestly, there was no reason for me to show up in anything but my best today, so I made sure to nicen myself up. I needed to raise me some flags with Parian (Purely for the Social Link power ups, you see), so I figured that going the respectful and business minded approach would help me to grow closer to her at the minute, unlike my blunter handling of Taylor.

"Same place as last time you visited." She said, gesturing to Parian's personal backroom. I nodded, and passed on in.

"Hey Parian." I greeted the porcelain woman. "I got your call. So, it's ready, huh?"

She nodded. "Indeed. Thank you for your patience, but your costume is now ready."

The seed I once planted has now grown into fine fruit under my careful diligence! Or rather, my brief decision to pester Parian for some protection has netted me some clothes. I couldn't really say that it had taken me much effort to accomplish, but at the end of the day, I didn't care.

I now had my very own bonafide superhero costume. Irrespective of the useful nature of this acquisition, it was still pretty damn cool. Admittedly I had barely been involved in the initial design/concept of it, but I was still interested to see what the end result would be.

"So, show me the goods!" I smirked.

"You look excited." She noted, even as she pulled a clothes rack towards herself using her power.

"Why shouldn't I be? If a man must go out and punch Evil in the face, he should look good while doing so, and be adequately protected in the process. Thus, I expect a lot from this."

I could hardly tell due to the mask, but I would almost say that Parian seemed to be smiling. "Well, I hope I don't disappoint. The costume itself is in that garment carrier." She pointed out the single, obscuring bag hanging from the rack. "I'll leave you be to try it on."

With that she left me to open up my present like it was Christmas. Correction- like it was a far more cautious Christmas, as I carefully unzipped the case and extracted its contents, lying them on the table piece by piece.

"Oh yeah, this looks _good_." I dressed quickly, making sure everything was equipped properly, before I turned to look myself over in the full-sized mirror left presumably for exactly this purpose.

The outfit could almost be described as mundane, though in a stylish manner. No underwear over my clothing for me. From the bottoms up, the whole thing had an air of classiness. A grey set of sturdy trousers with thick padding around the knees to mask subtle knee protectors, a nice utility belt with tonnes of notches for me to attach things in the future, and then a long-sleeved navy shirt (which nicely hid the well-fitting Kevlar vest beneath it). To match them, a nondescript black longcoat with plenty of pockets on the inside and out- which was surprisingly heavy too. And then the piece de la resistance- a mask. Or rather, the two parts of my facial masking. A simple domino mask to cover my eyes, and a scarf like ensemble that could be pulled up to mask more of my face when required.

All in all, Parian did good work, and I looked cooler than I had any reason to be. And yes, yes I did basically just steal P5 Protagonists swaggy costume, what of it?

"You like it, huh?"

I almost jumped in alarm at Parian, having not noticed her re-entering the room while I was admiring myself. She watched me intently, stalking around me like a critic analysing a sculpture- checking everything fitted correctly, and guaranteeing that all looked well.

"I love it." I admitted. It was all I could need and more. It toed a lot of necessary lines, in my mind. It was both cool and stylish, but it was also rather sedate and practical. These were clothes that I could not only wear to protect myself, but also wear for everyday use if necessary. I wouldn't really have to worry about carrying my costume with me, because if I removed the mask I could probably pass for normal (If with too much fondness for long coats), while the style was unremarkable enough that it would pass inspection in almost any world I could stumble into. Plus, it offered me protection in the form of the vest and coat, but it also wasn't nearly as heavy as it could have been (So wouldn't interfere with running for my life) and offered me lots of flexibility.

Combat and utility, with style and comfort. "You do a damn good job. You can't beat a Badass Longcoat." I complimented her.

"Thank you." She said, honestly. "It's always nice to see a satisfied customer. I tried to stick with the original intent of the request you gave me, but I added my own flair to it too. It's a shame that you didn't want something a little more challenging to make, but I enjoyed working on the coat, and I think the belt and scarf were nice touches too."

"Hit the nail on the head." I chuckled a little. "Like, _damn._ You really don't need to be told it at this point, but you're definitely worth the paycheck."

"You can tell me that when you've paid off the bill." She said, almost teasingly. "I've left the details with my assistant, so you can pick them up on the way out, but I think that they're reasonable terms."

I shrugged. "You wouldn't cheat me."

Her eyes narrowed. "And I said that you shouldn't blindly trust everyone."

"I'm not trusting everyone. I'm trusting _you_. A bit of a difference there." I explained, quickly.

"W-well, I'm glad you're putting that trust in me. I have decided to trust that you too will pay your own end, after all." Parian muttered, looking away.

"I will pay. I just need time." I reaffirmed. "My job will deliver eventually."

"Oh yes. That mysterious job. Will I be hearing about you at all in the papers?" Parian asked, seemingly curious.

"Probably not." It would be very worrying if she _did_ hear it.

"A shame. Heroes are often a good opportunity for advertisement." It was a shameless statement, but it was also practical. A Hero is just as much a brand icon as they are a peacekeeper.

"I unfortunately can't promise you much brand recognition. I _can_ assure you that you'll likely end up with a loyal customer, however." After all, while I was very happy with the costume, I was also well aware of just how quickly such an outfit can be damaged in combat, so I would inevitably need repairs or replacements in the future.

Her head titled in that way that showed exactly how she felt about that. "A repeat customer is always enjoyed." She said, seemingly honest in her words. I was glad- business goes both ways, and just as professionals' likes to have loyal customers, so to do we customers like having positive relations with those we wish to buy from. It's a mutually beneficial arrangement- one gets positive treatment, while the other earns opportunities for work.

It was then that I felt the familiar sensation of a darkening world, though only for a heartbeat. It was enough to see a fire grow in strength in my mind, as my bond of the Lovers Arcana grew stronger in nature and the corresponding Persona gained power in turn- ascending to Rank 2.

The moment ended, leaving a warm feeling of satisfaction in my stomach.

"A-anyway. I'll just leave so you can change back into your normal attire." Parian explained, rushing back out of the room so I could do just that. It was with a smile that I repacked the newest (And likely most important) addition to my Labyrinth Exploration equipment- my armour.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 13**

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, Dreamer." Igor said softly, greeting me amicably as I always do when I venture into the domain between Dreams and Reality.

"It's always a pleasure, Igor, Lavenza." A nod in turn to both of the denizens of the room as I sat down in my own chair, relaxing into the softness of the seat. "I'm guessing you know why I'm here, right?"

Lavenza smiled her graceful smile and stepped forwards, bowing lightly. "Of course. It has been exactly one week since you first left Berith with me for the sake of Enhancement. You are here to see the fruits of my labour, are you not?"

I gave the Attendant two massive thumbs up. "Let's see how you've been able to kick his ass into gear."

"Very well then." A shine emanated from Lavenza, and to the sound of shattering metal my Hierophant Persona, Berith, emerged atop his horse- almost triumphantly, if cowed. He broke up into particles of light and fell down upon me. It was an odd feeling- like having your third arm reattached or opening a third eye long since forgotten. I felt more complete in a way that was hard to explain- almost more than before I had first sent Berith off.

"It's good to have you back." I whispered. In my mind, I thoroughly scrutinised the power I recognised as Berith, searching for changes. The changes were slight, but Berith was definitely slightly stronger and agile than he had once been, and then there was something new…

"Poison Skewer." The young woman explained, softly. "A less popular attack nowadays, but still useful. For even the smallest strikes can have the potential to leave lasting, persistent damage upon an enemy."

"Thank you Lavenza." I told her, simply. "Your hard work has been appreciated, and I will make sure to put this Poisoning skill to good use."

"Ah- no need for thanks!" She hastily said, looking away almost bashfully. "You are an honoured guest of this room so naturally I would be willing to aid you in your endeavours. There is no need for thanks."

"And yet I will do so anyway." For we are the British, and politeness is our rapier and shield.

"Th-then I shall sincerely accept your unnecessary gratitude."

Igor chuckled a little at our antics. "It's always entertaining when this Velvet Room receives guests."

I rolled my eyes. "What do denizens of the room do when poor shmucks like us aren't about anyway? Practice being obtusely mysterious?"

"Yes." Igor said, not missing a beat.

A sigh. "Well you're good at it. Speaking of, any advice for me?"

"Simply put, carry on. Your steps are tentative, and I fear that you will have difficulty truly growing closer to some of your newest bonds due to the nature of how the bonds began, but you are well on the right path. You are starting to reach out to those around you and are making steady progress through the First Floor of the Labyrinth."

"Aye. Slow and steady wins the race." Rome wasn't built in a day, nor do Persona Protags become badasses until after a long and gruelling year of bettering themselves and the world around them. I still had a long way to go, but I hadn't lost sight of my goal- not quite yet. I was frustrated that I was still pretty much just blindly stumbling through the Labyrinth, but my patience hadn't been spent quite yet.

"In that case, would you like for me to begin Enhancing another of your Persona?" Lavenza said.

"I wouldn't like to overwork you."

"Nonsense." She shook her head sternly. "This is no burden, but a duty. I am eager to help you continue growing in power, step by step."

"I'll take you up on your offer then." I'd had a week to consider who I wanted to strengthen after Berith was done, and I had a pretty good idea of who to select. The deciding factor had been me meeting Rin. More precisely, the Persona created from that bond: Jack Frost. Consequently, I could afford to lose Yomotsu Ikusa more. Ikusa knew Bufu and Cleave, but now with Berith back he was a superior close combatant, while Jack Frost could also use Bufu but also had a stronger ability to cast Magic.

It was an easy choice then. I reached out and grasped Lavenza's hand. Taylor's bond with me weakened and I despaired at the empty hole in my heart, but I resolved myself knowing that it would be only for a week, and that in time Ikusa would be a stronger Persona from the experience.

"Thank you for your patronage. I shall endeavour to return to you a superior Ikusa."

"I expect as much." I praised her. "Anyhow, I think that my business is concluded, for the moment. Anything else?"

"Not at the moment." Igor said. "Though in a few more Social Links time, I will."

"Ominous."

"Not really." He gestured widely to the glowing door leading back to the Labyrinth. "In that case, I wish you the best of luck in your spelunking today."

I stood up and readjusted my new coat, a wary grin upon my face. "Thanks."

With that, it was back into the depths. There was mapping to be done, and I was eager to find those stars. I could almost swear that they had moved, for I hadn't even ran that long far the Shadows back on that first day! I'd travelled a lot further in all directions than that first sprint for my life. Now I just needed to check out all those unexplored spots on the routes I'd trailblazed until I finally rolled a nat 20 and found those deceptively unremarkable stairs and that distinctive door!

" _Any day now! They can't hide for long!"_

XXXXXXXXXX

I made sure to arrive at the coffee shop early. I ordered my drink, sat down at a comfy chair in one of the quieter corners of the café, and waited patiently. It had been exactly one week since I met Taylor Hebert, so if everything went according to plan, she would hopefully make an appearance.

Hopefully.

I was on my second mug by now, and it was now an hour after the time I said I'd be here for, but I decided to keep waiting. I'd specifically decided to head into the Labyrinth early today just so that I could make time in my schedule for this. Fun fact- when one isn't forced to only be able to do two events per day and don't need to worry about schooling, taking time out like this isn't really much of a problem.

Finally, she arrived. She paused when she entered, her eyes briefly flickering over to me- almost in disbelief. The eyes narrowed to something more akin to suspicion, but she didn't leave. I gave her a jolly wave which likely only confused her more, but she took the hint and went to the counter to get her drink before coming over to join me.

"You actually showed up." She stated.

"I said I would." Was my own simple reply. "It was no skin off my back to show up for this."

"I see." After that, we slipped into silence as we each tackled our own drinks. Again, this wasn't out of any real desire for silence on my part, but more uncertainty. I didn't know what to say, and so nothing was said.

Still, I couldn't let this continue. "Bad week?" I asked her, already suspecting the answer.

"It was a bad as it always is."

"Figured. Do you want to talk about it?"

She frowned, pushing her chair out as if to leave. "I don't know why I even came today."

"Well it wasn't for my winning personality." I scoffed, gesturing for her to sit back down. "You're already here, so you may as well make the bus ride worth it. I said I'd be happy to let you vent, and I still mean it."

Hesitantly, she settled back into her chair. "So what? Am I meant to talk about my feelings now, or something?"

"I don't know. If you want. Or we can talk about whatever. Did you try joining a club in the end?"

"It's only been a week." She replied. "I've been… thinking about it."

"But haven't found anything specific yet? I hear you. What have you been thinking about."

"I thought about a sport of some kind, but quickly scratched that off." She began, reaching down to unzip her bag and pull out a simple notepad. Nothing quite so elaborate as one of her Cape preparatory ones- just the kind you'd use for school. She showed me a very small list of bullet-pointed ideas. A botany class, a book group, a cooking club, and at the end she'd even considered doing some form of gaming via library computers.

"Well I'd definitely scratch the last one." I said, trying to sound positive. "Let me tell you, library computers are slow. I think that the first two might suit you."

"How can you be sure?"

"A guess." I shrugged. Still, it was heartening to know that she'd actually considered my advice. Far too many people will listen to someone talk, then immediately dismiss their words without even considering them. "Ever thought about hitting up a gym?"

I'd almost say that the look in her eyes was furious, if she'd actually had the energy or will to fight. "I wouldn't fit in there." Then she glanced down at herself, and I felt like slapping myself on the forehead. Her body was just one of the things Emma and her cronies had tormented her with, and her issues with her own femininity were very apparent- I probably shouldn't have stepped on that conversation landmine.

"Moving along." I said, more to myself than her. "Either way, it _is_ nice that you're considering stuff. Are you going to try anything?"

"Maybe." Her reply was vague and dismissive.

"Now, now. You won't know if you'll like it or not unless you try."

"You don't need to sound so patronising." She snapped.

"S-sorry." I sheepishly said. "If I sounded it, I didn't mean to. I'm just taking this seriously, is all, and honestly have no clue how to go about it."

"Sure is promising when the blind are leading the blind."

"Easier if that first blind man has already stumbled around the area he's leading the second down." I countered. "I know it won't be fast, but this won't be forever."

At that, even she could smile a little. "I just need to finish Highschool. Then, never again."

I smiled back. "That's the spirit." I refrained from continuing my reassurances, however. Taylor didn't want blind encouragements. "Anyway, since we're making so little on the bullying front, is there anything else you fancy talking about?"

"Not really." Taylor said, and took a long chug of her drink- bringing the mug almost to the point of empty.

"Are you leaving already?" I said, trying to keep out the panic in my voice. I hadn't exactly helped her today, and I didn't like to consider how she might be cutting her ties since I was so unhelpful.

"I am." She said. "I want to get home before dad gets home from work."

"Fair enough." It was good an excuse as any. "I'll the same thing I did last week. That was a nice hot chocolate, so if you want to talk next week, I'll be here too."

"Bye." Taylor said, not saying anything one way or another. She walked out, leaving me along to finish off the rest of my drink.

It was almost disappointing to not hear the sound of a boosting Social Link as she left, but I didn't let it discourage me. It had felt harder talking to Taylor today, and the initial connection between us of mutual situations seemed far less helpful in binding us together. I appreciated that friendship takes time, and True Companions aren't made across 10 conversations, but even so. Even Parian had somehow been increased through a talk lesser to this.

" _I'd almost say that our difficulty connecting was more than just social awkwardness on both our ends."_ I couldn't help but remember the Persona games, and how in them you could gain extra 'points' with a Social Link by equipping a Persona of the same Arcana as them when you go to hang out, and how earlier today I'd willingly given up Ikusa- the symbol of my fledgling bond with Taylor.

Perhaps I was jumping the gun a little, but I resolved to make sure not to put a Persona in for Enhancement if I was going to try and socialise with their respective Social Links over the following week. It couldn't hurt, right?

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 15**

It was with great satisfaction that I heard the gentle ka-click as I worked. Tentatively, I gave door handle a tug and watched as it swung open. A talent which had been two weeks in the making- but my lockpicking was finally coming along.

I'd been practicing a little each and every day. Fiddling with my room lock and the individual set of padlocks I'd bought using Shadow Money, and I could now consistently open them- even if it always took me a few minutes a'piece.

"I'mma coming for you, my loot…" I cackled beneath my breath. For far too long now I had not been given my due to as a Persona Protagonist, and I _needed_ my loot.

XXXXXXXXXX

"A sword?" I mused to myself, looking at the contents of chest number 2. The box had contained only a single thing at the very bottom- a shortsword and a sheathe to accompany it. "Well, it's better than that talisman I found in chest numero one." For the gacha wasn't with me. I guessed the item probably had _something_ special going for it, but it wasn't immediately obvious to my eyes. At the very least though, I had damn well opened those chests. It had taken two weeks of practice, but I'd gotten there.

" _So I can damn well be happy for that."_

With a jaunty whistle, I strapped the sword to my belt and headed back into the expansive network of tunnels making up the floor. I'd achieved what I wanted to do so far, but I still estimated that I had another ten minutes of exploration before the minimum time for the Grey Lady to appear. If I was lucky, it might be many more minutes after that.

Bit by bit, I'd fill in my map. Slowly but surely, I'll head further into the depths.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Welcome back to the Velvet Room, Dreamer."

"Hey Igor, whassup?" I replied rather casually as I all but draped myself over my comfy seat. I did seem to be coming back here quite often recently- though it wasn't a surprise. Man needs company, and the duo here were good enough. At the very least, it was a relief to be around people who knew exactly what my deal was, without any worries on my own end about watching my mouth.

"Oh, nothing much. Time passes strangely here in the Velvet Room… but I keep myself occupied. And what brings you here today?"

"Welp, how goes my Persona?" I asked Lavenza.

"I am afraid I still need several days more to empower it." She lamented. "The Hanged Man has proven stubborn but shall submit as all Persona do."

Hoo boy- what a scary girl. "Also, seeing as you're the only people I know who know stuff, think you can appraise these?" Then I dumped my spoils of war for the day on the table.

"Hmmm… not what I normally do, I admit, but I believe I can give you the answers which you seek." I coughed something akin to 'finally'. "That there is a Witches Amulet. You shall feel a small but noticeable increase in your magical power while wearing it. I suppose if it would help you visualise it, it's akin to a +2 or something." Well, it's a generic affect, but still one that will always prove useful.

"And the sword?"

"Nothing too special I am afraid. A well-crafted sword which requires no work to maintain its edge." Again, nothing special, but at least it would require no work on my end to maintain it.

"Well, that's cool. I guess." I shrugged, contemplating the sheathed blade upon the table. "Anyway… Igor… you know because we're such good friends?"

"Really?" He gave me a look- about as pointed as an entity such as he could give. Already without me voicing my desire, he already knew what I was going to ask.

"Pleeaaaaase?" I pleaded.

"You wish to take the Velvet Room… the point between Dreams and Reality, the metaphysical embodiment of the sacred journey of the Fool, a domain reserved for significant changes in the psyche... and reduce it to an _inventory system?"_

"Well can you blame me? How the flippity fuck am I meant to smuggle a sword onto the bus ride home? It's not like carrying a sword is inconspicuous is nine out of ten worlds, you know?" Oh, is that a shortsword in my trousers or am I happy to see you?

"Even so… really?"

"Well it's not like you do anything else for me Igor." The grand Persona fuser… reduced to sitting about and occasionally dispensing advice.

"Tch." Yup. I'd reduced the great Igor to tch-ing.

"Master, perhaps we should allow him this luxury?" Lavenza suggested. "It is hardly a large request, and it _is_ our duty to assist the Dreamer along his journey. In whatever way we can."

"… Fine." Igor eventually complied, sounding far more like a petulant teenager than the actual teenage-looking Lavenza. "Doesn't mean I have to like it." With a gesture, a pillar of blue light rose from the floor to the far corner of the Velvet Room. The light faded to reveal a single, plastic table. It was very out of place in just how cheap it looked- Igor definitely had the nicer table.

"Oh. Thanks." I trotted over there and rested my sword atop it. Then, after a quick thought I also opened up my rucksack and stored my map and a few other miscellaneous goods I only ever needed for the Labyrinth.

"And I _swear_ that if you abuse this luxury and start treating this room like a storage cupboard, then I _will_ happily throw any contents not on that table out into the shaft."

"Got the message." Don't overstock the table. Also, Igor is really petty sometimes. It's funny just human the Velvet Room inhabitants can be sometimes. "So, any other advice for me before I hit the road?"

The long nosed 'man' gave me a wry look. "Go out and make more friends."

"Eh- same old, same old."

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 20**

Another swing, another fallen Shadow. The puddle slowly dispersed and with a flick of the blade the liquid remains were swished away to leave no residue. "This… is pretty damn sharp."

Naturally, I knew sweet fuck all about how to wield the damn thing, but it didn't really matter when all I needed it for was to occasionally shank and/or cut things when I'm feeling too drained to summon a Persona or wish to conserve my energy.

And if there was one thing I knew, it was that with time and perseverance that I would improve.

Speaking of which…

Janglejangle.

A familiar, chilling sound. That of dragging chain and metallic grinding, with the pitter-patter of insect legs. It still sent shivers down my spine to hear the noise, because like a rat I'd been conditioned to run and scurry away at the first sign of the Grey Lady. All my dungeon crawling expeditions could arguably be said to be designed around avoiding her. Planning my timings, knowing the quickest path to salvation, caution above all else.

And damn it all- I was sick of it. Exploration was just so damn slow. 20 days, and I hadn't even hit the second floor. And who knew how many levels I'd need to go down?

In other words, there was only one conclusion. _"The Grey Lady needed to go down."_

Jangle… stop.

I'd been loitering here, only a corridor or so away from the exit to Brockton Bay. Just waiting for her to make her appearance. "It's about time." I smiled as I saw the apparition skulking from around the corner, chains a'draping from the ceiling. I brandished my sword, and then as the head spun round to look at me, I was already calling out the familiar words. "PERSONA!"

In a flash, Yomotsu Ikusa appeared before me, already flash freezing the area around the spiderwoman. I'd just gotten him back from Lavenza and I could appreciate how the Bufu struck with more force than I expected- partly due to the Magic bonus to its stats, and partly to my amulet.

The ice shattered within moments- not even fazing the monster. A screech, then several chains shot forwards through the tunnels straight for my torso. This wasn't the first time I'd seen this attack- I'd had to dodge these multiple times. I was able to duck around the corner I'd been specifically sticking next to for a reason. _"Okay. Not ice. Let's try something else."_

Yomotsu faded away and I called upon a new Persona. I ducked my head round- already the distance between us was halved. "Berith! Poison Skewer!" The knight manifested and charged down the Shadow. My physically hardest hitter- the lance struck skin. She cried out – not in pain but annoyance. A blast of thunder shot from her and all but blew my manifestation apart.

"GAH!" I spat, clutching my chest. Damn, I'd felt that once. That's one issue with having a sympathetic mental manifestation. It hits hard, but if it gets hit, you also suffer. We share a HP bar, really.

And that one blast was deliberating. Not quite as fatal as two weeks back- at the very least I guessed that by now I could probably take two of them with the right Persona, and it would only be the third that was fatal.

" _Not susceptible to Physical, nor Ailments."_ I had a little more selection than when I first met the Grey Lady, but I was also running out of options too. I'd tried Fire when I first met it. So, based upon my calculations, I had only one Persona worth testing at this point. Two if you count Angel, but I'm not dumb enough to assume that an insta-kill move would ever work on a 'boss'.

"Leanan Sidhe!" My Persona of the Lovers Arcana. The blonde fae hung in the air for a brief moment before throwing a compressed ball of Psi at the boss. It struck her torso and… she flailed. I blinked in surprise, before I ordered it again. Because for a brief moment the unstoppable pace of the creature was halted, and then the second pink ball struck, prompting another small wince of pain and a new onset of rage which made her move only faster and swifter than ever before.

" _Righto. Runrunrunrun."_ I dispelled my Persona and sprinted. The room was just ahead of me, and I'd got enough answers today to be satisfied. I could hear the chains, hear her screeches, and I knew that she was right on my tail. But this wasn't my first rodeo, and I all but hurdled over the pedestal to reach the dark window. I didn't even hesitate to leap through.

Brief breathlessness, blink, and I was on the hard ground of Brockton Bay- the screams of the half-spider ringing only in my ears.

From my spot on the floor, I pumped my fist into the air. Because progress had been made. All enemies have a Weakness, somewhere, and it sometimes takes patience to find it. And today I'd gotten lucky. Without even all the Elements at my disposal yet, I'd managed to find something able to make the Grey Lady flinch.

It was a chink in its metaphorical armour. And while I was still a long way off being able to exploit it, at the very least I now _had_ the start of a plan to face her.

" _Whoo boy will I enjoy the act of stomping your ass weeks down the line."_ Because her lifetime was limited. I'll get her, sooner or later. My power was only going to improve with time.

" _Speaking of which…"_ I needed to see Taylor today for our weekly chat, and I wanted us to Bond. So, I'd better prepare for that, eh?

XXXXXXXXXX

"Hey." I called out to Taylor, sitting down at the table.

"You're late." She noted.

I shrugged. "You _were_ late last time too. And work cropped up. Had to get cleaned up from that." Because god knows that after an encounter with the Grey Lady, I was always happy to have a nice shower.

She tilted her head. "Fair enough." And thus begins the awkward silence. Dang it. This is what happens when you put two people in a room together whom have difficulty talking.

"So… how's your week been?"

"Probably worse than yours." Hmm… a week in the dark labyrinth of the human psyche, fighting the horrors dwelling in its depths… or American Highshool. Yeah- she's probably had a worse week. "Still, same old, same old."

"The bullies still laying off?"

A shake of the head. "It's not as bad as it has been, but they're still going at it. I've counted at least thirty-seven acts of bullying over the last week. Most of them minor."

I still had to wince at just how brutal that bitch Emma could be. "Those three are the _worst_."

My words prompted the smallest of smiles, with just a tinge of melancholy. "Yeah. They are. But…"

"Hmmm?"

"Never mind." She quickly took back whatever words she was going to say. "Ummm… I've been thinking about what you said before."

"Get a dang hobby?"

"Yes." To business, I suppose.

"What about it?"

"I have a potential list, but no real clue to go from here. It's all well and good saying 'go out and make some friends', but…"

"Social isolation hits you hard, and once it begins, it's hard to make it end." I sympathised with her- I really did.

"So, I want to start. How?" Then, she pulled out her list from her rucksack and pointed to the underlined part- botany club.

"I'm gonna assume that you want a better answer than 'find a club, talk to them'?" Cue a frustrated look. "Do you at least have a club in mind?"

Without another word of prompt, she withdrew another sheet- this one was a flier. The kind you'd see printed out in bulk and left in a tidy little pile in your local library branch. "This group meets weekly, and its far enough away from the Boardwalk that I doubt I'll see anyone I know."

"That sounds promising, at least. When is it?"

"Saturday."

"What seems to be the problem them?"

She gave me a look, as if to say 'do I need to spell it out?'. And yes, yes you do Taylor. Alas, unlike dating sims, I can't see your thoughts in text boxes. "I don't know how to make friends." Ah. The age-old problem. "You seem to be well adjusted… enough." What begins as a compliment, eh. "Tips?"

"Don't be yourself." I said, immediately.

"Isn't that the one thing you _should_ do?"

"Gods no!" I reply, horrified. "Be yourself to friends and family, but you have to feel the waters out first! When you go to the group, try not to stand alone in a corner. Find the person that looks like they have the most friends and introduce yourself. You might not end up with that group for long, but if you stick with 'em you'll meet a lot of the people they know, which might lead to people that share interests."

She nodded and began to… was she _writing notes_?

"Ummmuu…" Damn, lost my train of thought. "Anyway, I'm not saying automatically follow the cliques will like some sort of minion, but don't rock the boat, only bring up topics that are generally pleasant for conversation, and if someone asks you something uncomfortable don't be scared to generalise like hell."

"Are you sure this stuff works?"

"Take it from me. Don't I look like someone who knows what he's talking about when it comes to socialising?"

"No." Gah! Like a lance through my heart- not even a shred of hesitation!

"That's hit me hard. It's true, mind you, but it still hits me hard."

"Blind leading the blind." She referenced our last meeting.

"Do you want me to tag along?" I offered. "I loathe gardening of all kinds, but nosy soul that I am, I'm willing to come and help break the ice."

She considered my words for a moment. I was all but certain she'd immediately turn me down. But in the end, she instead gives a simple "Okay."

" _Boo yah! Social Linking is a go!"_

Speaking of which… that tingling sensation just returned to my heart. The world slowed and I could _practically feel_ the Arcana within me. That miraculous and indescribable sensation of a bond growing. I was now at Rank 2 with the Hanged Man Arcana.

"So, where should we meet up Saturday? Will here do?"

"Yes." She nodded her head, and rose from her seat, drink already finished. I myself still had an all but full mug- too much talking, not enough sipping. "See you later?"

I gave her a cheery wave. "Bye."

She left me alone to my thoughts- and got out my own little book. Because I'd firmly bit the bullet and finally gotten myself a day planner. And so I scheduled her in- reshuffling my 11 O'clock Dungeon Spelunking to an afternoon slot.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN- life carries on. Writers block is a pain. This chapter has been ready for ages, but I kinda had to retcon its later stages after a Social Link I introduced really didn't work (so forgive the one scene which seems a little empty).**

 **Got some good stuff coming up though. Next chapter or two are already mostly done. Enjoy!**

 **Chapter 7**

 **Day 22**

November had just turned to December in the Wormverse, and I had finally located the stairs leading down to the second floor of the Labyrinth. A single sentence that cannot truly embody just how excited I was. "Holy fucking hell! _This_ is where the door is!"

And so, with great happiness I pulled out my homemade map, took a brief look around to see if any dirty, sneaky Shadowses were sneaking up on me, and then I finished filling in the dungeon segment I had just recently completed. And there, upon the map, I proudly drew a little door with a bold number 2 upon it.

Three weeks of stumbling through the dark, checking every passageway I could, and finally I had found the one path that led to the next floor- all accidentally, were I to be honest. I hadn't been seriously looking today- more filling in unknown spots and connections between portions of my map. And now, with the map intact enough for me to proceed, it pissed me off just how far outwards I had ventured, and yet just how inwards this spot was.

"Enough moaning. There's a new floor to explore." Still ten minutes before the Grey Lady would become a problem, and if she was anything like the Reaper, then she'd restart that timer on the next floor.

So, with a cheerful whistle, I passed through the already open doorway and headed down the long stairway I had once fled up back on day 1 of this whole adventure. And there, two paths. One that leads to the coffin I woke up on top of, and the second leading further in and down. _"Down we go. There is only onwards and downwards."_

A brisk walk down, and I arrived before the next door. A steel one, the kind that might have been found on a bunker, with the number 2 splashed across it in crimson paint. It looked old, faded and flaking.

Deep breaths… deep breaths… then with both hands I twisted the circular locking mechanism- opening sealed chambers. A large burst of rancid, rotting odour- as if this door and its contents had been sealed for a very long time. Then, I pushed it open fully and entered Floor 2.

"Well, isn't this homey?" My first impression of the floor was that it was musty, followed up by… uncaring. It was very similar to Floor 1, except that the façade of normality and the real world had been all but torn away. The paint upon the walls flaked off in large patches to reveal traditional stone as opposed to concrete, while what graffiti did still adorn it was done in acrylic and carvings as opposed to modern tools like spray paint. Nearby, I saw a metal torch holder upon the wall- it was more rust than unblemished surface.

Yeah- it was like the Labyrinth had almost given up on hiding the fact that this is anything but a mystic, ancient labyrinth burrowing down into the depths.

"Back to work then." Into my pocket, I grasp my map. New page- I quickly noted down my starting position. Back into pocket, back into routine. We're deeper- I anticipate the challenge will consequently be higher.

I slowly make my way into the depths. No encounters to begin with. Just a few corridors and crossroads. About twice as wide as before, but nothing too bad. And then, the first Shadow encounter.

There were three of them, travelling a pack. Like the shadows of the last floor, with different masks. Two of them had purple ones, while the largest one has a crown.

Deep breath. Reach for my power… and "Persona!" A successful ambush- Jack Frost appears before me, already launching a Bufu at one of the minions. The icicle plunges deep- almost taking it down in one hit and pinning it to the floor. Sword unsheathed, I swung for its mask- finishing it off.

The inevitable counterattack. Fire and thunder both lashed towards me. I roll forwards, slipping between the two of them- though I distinctly felt the familiar sensation of burning flesh upon my shoulder from the Agi (worrying considering I was wearing protection). I rise, spin and slash. Again, I target the smallest Shadow. My sword strike hits it hard, but misses the mask, and it all but walks it off- lunging forwards with sharp fingers.

A trio of scratches on my torso join the flame damage. _"It went through that Kevlar like it was cardboard."_ I jump back and switch to Angel, quickly casting a Dia at myself- focussing on the presently bleeding wounds on my chest. The crowned Shadow glows for a moment- then a massive wave of thunder surges forwards. I know what to do with thunder, however. Angel raises its wings protectively to shield me. I feel the hit through our connection, but Angel resists Electric.

"Berith!" a sharp Lunge and the purple masked puddle fades away. Again, I pull on Berith to prevent him fading away. His resistance is no better than my own- but it's reassuring to not stand alone. And phantom wounds are better than actual ones.

It floods forwards, a hip-high wave of darkness and claws. At my command Berith swats aside the attack with his spear and delivers a tentative thrust of his own. He opens a hole up for me to take my own swing at it, then I duck back behind Berith.

A bead of sweat rolls off my face- the strain of persistent manifestation starts to take hold. Regretfully, Berith fades away, so all I can do is throw myself to the floor so that I narrowly avoid the next blast of thunder.

"DANTE!" Fire shoots straight into its dumb little face- making it recoil but not relent. "Agi!" I repeat, and another shot explodes against it, finally finishing it off.

"Wowzers." Because that had been a tough one. First fight in, and I had wasted far too much SP for my liking. I wasn't exactly on full to begin with as I'd done quite a bit of exterminating back on Floor 1, but even so. This battle spent about 10 percent of my reserves, and now I was down to 25 percent.

" _So… do I press on?"_ Dumb question, obvious answer. "Time to turn back." I'd only gotten this far through patience. One needs to watch their own back closely when spelunking alone, and if I pressed on then all it would take would be a few good Elemental hits and I'd be in trouble. I'd found the second floor. I could start exploring it properly tomorrow.

I was satisfied.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 23**

"Hey Izumi, how's it hanging?" I called out further into the house, then sat down at the table for safe measure. I'd learnt my lesson the last two times I popped in for a brief reprieve from the Labyrinth and quick chat. A combat hardened individual tends to be very quick to the punch when someone appears unexpectedly.

Izumi was a busy woman and didn't always have the time to chat for long, but she'd given me an open offer to pop in, and I'd damn well used it.

"Back again, Theo?" She popped her head in. "Shall I put the kettle on?"

"I'd appreciate it." I said, gratefully. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Not particularly." So, she popped further into the house to put a cuppa on.

After a peaceful minute or two of rest where I hung up my coat and made sure there were no obvious stains on my shirt or hands to worry about, and she returned. "Glorious." I smiled, taking a long sip of the beverage. "You have damn good taste in tea."

"Well of course I do, brat." She sipped her own blend- far less milky than my own. "I get it imported, I'll have you know."

"Then I thank my lucky star that the one bit of finery you choose to indulge in is fine tea." Haaa- nothing quite so quenching after dungeon crawling than a cup of tea (forgive my one true indulgence).

"You seem cheerful." She noted.

"I'm in a good mood." I announced. "Finally making progress in the Labyrinth. Found Floor 2, so I'm one step closer."

"One step closer to what?"

"The bottom." I reply, mysteriously. "And whatever lies down there."

A wry look. "Sounds fun."

"Welp, I don't explore that thing for fun."

Here, one of her fingers found itself at her chin. "Now, that's a question. Why are you exploring that place? You never actually said."

"Because I must, really." I admit. "I don't know why I need to reach the bottom, and I'm sure I won't enjoy the answers I find at the bottom. But despite this, I _need_ to reach them."

Izumi's gaze narrowed. "One should be careful when they look for the Truth. We humans never like to acknowledge what we find. And you should never do something merely because you believe you _must_."

"Well, I'm _pretty sure_ that if I don't find said Truth then Bad Stuff happens, so I can't really afford to _not_ look for it, y'know? There's no choice in the matter." When the Plot comes a'knocking, there's no use hiding from the Call. A Persona protagonist that neglects his Supernatural Mystery Location is a Bad End Protagonist. If the consequences of failing to reach the centre isn't world-shaking, then I'll eat my wonderful coat.

She sighs. "When you talk like that, it really makes me want to wander into that maze myself. Adults should normally handle problems such as this… but what with my health condition, I'm not too sure of how much help I'd be. While my husband doesn't have Alchemy to fall back on…"

"You're stronger than me, but if you had a relapse in the Labyrinth…" Yeah, Izumi knew about my struggles and what I was dealing with, and was a ridiculously strong woman, but I didn't want to stick her in undue harm. The Elric Brothers would be gutted if something happened to her- as would the plot.

"Probably for the best. A dainty housewife such as me should have a more feminine hobby than spelunking. Like bear hunting."

"… _Trust Izumi to consider that a feminine hobby."_

"You said that you reached Floor 2. I'm surprised you aren't there right now."

"I considered going straight to it." I admitted. "But I fancied having a chat, so here I am. Once I've recovered some energy from eating your delicious digestive biscuits and polished off your fantastic tea, I'm sure I'll head straight there from here." This was technically a slightly closer point to the stairs than my starting position at Brockton Bay, so it would be a _slightly_ smaller path to the next floor.

"The cheek of youth today." She commented- more amused than anything. "Well, biscuits are the least I can offer. Not like it's a problem for me to let you recover here."

D'awww. Izumi really _does_ care beyond her stern exterior, doesn't she?

Ka-click. There- a tugging at my heart. Like fuel being added to a flame. That sensation- and a brief vision of a solitary card… it was like with Taylor. I had just reached Rank 2 of my bond with Izumi.

XXXXXXXXXX

"As ever, I welcome you to the Velvet Room, Dreamer."

"Yeah, yeah. No need to say it _every_ time you know." I muttered, slipping onto my seat. For a moment I just laid there- basking in the comfort of the chair. The Second Floor was a pain and a half- more variety in Shadows, with more Elemental attacks, and often in larger groups.

"Are you okay, Dreamer?" Lavenza asked inquisitively, perhaps noting my downbeat mood.

"I mean… not really. But kinda." I admitted. No need to hide my true thoughts from them- it was their job to act as pseudo councillors. My psyche was their concern. "I don't know what to think."

Here, Igor leant forwards and clasped his hands together. "I am surprised. I expected you to be in higher spirits considering how you have only just reached the Second Floor."

"Exactly." I agreed. "I _was_ cheerful. Glad to make progress. But then after talking to Izumi, and after dungeon crawling today… I got thinking. Am I _really_ making progress? Three weeks to hit floor 2. Tartarus had hundreds and Mementos had dozens of floors. And here I am at _two_." And sure, maybe there were less floors for me, but who could say?

"I would say there it more to your mood than that." Igor cut right to the heart of the matter.

"Indeed. Because even after I hit Floor 2… things have just kept going. I'm doing the same damn thing I did before. Nothing is different at all. And no matter how many floors I go down, that won't change. Floor numbers are really just an arbitrary number, when I've come no closer to solving this damn mystery."

And _that_ was what was getting to me. Because all my triumphs were so small that they might as well have been meaningless. I'm a bit fitter and stronger. I have one or two more bonds. I've gone down another floor. Big whoop. Small peanuts. A Persona adventure generally lasts at most a full year, and I'm almost one twelfth of the way through that time, with so little to show for it.

Intellectually I understand that I'm doing my best, and that any progress is good. But… _"I can't help but wonder yet again if this is a mistake. If I can even win this thing. If the depths will even give me what I seek."_

"I understand." The long-nosed man told me, sitting back, and I believed him. He was a purveyor of human psyche and could see each and every barely suppressed thought in my pretty little head. "And I disagree. You know more than you did before. And all journeys begin with small steps."

"But small steps can only take you so far." I bit back.

"Wrong. The only difference between small steps and large steps is how quickly you reach the end goal." Igor's beady eyes gazed deeply into my own- so intently I couldn't help but flinch away. "I have had many guests in my time serving the Velvet Room. Some greater, some lesser. But all important. Do not lose heart. Because even if you feel that you have barely taken any steps… I still believe that you'll reach the goal you seek."

"Thanks for the pep talk… but I don't exactly know what that is." I sought the depths… but I didn't truly know why. I didn't really know the questions the depths were even supposed to be answering. I was only dungeon crawling because it was expected of me, and because I was savvy enough to guess what the consequences of failure would be. "I guess I just feel… directionless. Like I have nothing to aim for."

In Persona 3 there were the full moon battles- regular events you could plan for and expect, with a clear sense of progression, while a tower most definitely has a top. In Persona 4 there was the persistent goal of finding the murderer, and with every dungeon being another victim saved or another culprit investigated. And in Persona 5, every Palace was targeted for a specific purpose, with meaningful impacts after each one. There was always something for those protags to be aiming for.

Me? All I had was a pat on the back and the promise of stronger Shadows and more floors. I was alone in this mess, investigating purely because 'why not?'.

"Then allow me to metaphorically illuminate the path before you." Igor pulled out his tarot deck and spread them before me face up- showing all of the major Arcana. "Even if you cannot take joy at this point in reaching deeper floors, perhaps you can take joy in knowing that with more floors will come more open doors and more worlds to uncover… and more precious bonds to make."

Yeah… that was something I could vaguely rally behind. A guy like me considers friendship important- and every Social Link is not only another True Companion in the making, but also another source of power. And power would always come in handy.

"More precious bonds, huh?"

"Perhaps you should actually make _friends_ and not _working relationships._ " Out of nowhere, Lavenza re-entered the conversation. "My Joker had plenty of working relationships… but many, _many_ more friends. He had those he could rely on."

"I'll learn to rely on Taylor and Izumi."

"Yes, but all of your Social Links have begun as _work related_." To Rin I'm a lower ranked Magus, to Parian I'm a customer, to Taylor a source of advice, and to Izumi an occasional house guest. "You need a friend for _you_ , not just to be a friend to others."

"Well, I'll see what I can do." I said, not really seeing what she meant.

She glared at me. What!? Was I being overtly oblivious? "Dreamer… you need teammates."

"Out of the question." My reply was instantaneous. This was my mess- I wasn't going to drag anyone else into this. I couldn't grab a random person of the street and make them risk their lives, nor would I pluck some canon character from their roles and fuck everything up. If someone was already involved in this then I wouldn't mind… but I refused to be the one to actually pull someone into my world.

"You can't do this alone."

"Level 99 Solo Joker runs laugh at us from Youtube."

Another cute glare "Not _just_ because you could use someone to have your back in combat, but also because without a Team you'll _break._ My Joker-"

I sighed. "It's always about Joker. I know he was a cool guy, but even so. Everyone on his team wanted to be there. They joined for their own selfish reasons. They were already involved. But I can't endanger strangers just because I want someone to suffer beside me."

"Is that not what friendship is? Suffering for another's sake?"

"No more Shonen manga for you." I tried to joke- but the shallow nature of my rebuttal was obvious. It didn't detract from her points at all.

"If you value my presence even a little bit… then humbly consider my words." The attendant bowed her head down modestly. "I am but an attendant, and you are the guest…"

"Don't bow to me." I said. "I'll consider it, okay?"

"That's all I ask." Her satisfied smile said it all. And maybe… maybe she _did_ kinda have a point.

I would consider getting a team… I could certainly use one… but I would do it on my terms. I wasn't gonna do a SEES and drag in any old person who could help the cause. But if I saw someone who the fit bill, was willing to help, and who knew the details beforehand…

" _Well. Perhaps then."_

I wasn't sure of the exact trigger behind it, but I definitely felt closer to Lavenza after this. This wasn't the generic dialogue of a Velvet Attendant- she meant what she said. And I could appreciate the growth of our bond that came with reaching Rank 2.

But until I did find someone, I'd just keep plodding alone. I might feel further away from the depths than ever, but I wouldn't be taking any steps- big or small- if I stood about moaning. "I can only go onwards and downwards." I muttered to myself as I left the Velvet Room and prepared to return to my hotel room. Small steps… any progress…

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 24**

It was remarkable just how quickly I found myself a landmark on the Second Floor. I'd expected days of rushing through the First Floor just to reach my present point, and small, tentative gains to the map. I'd anticipated weeks of frustrating progress. I didn't think three days in I would already have my next safe spot.

" _Is this portal deliberately so close to the entrance of Floor 2, or have I finally had a stroke of luck?"_ I pondered, looking at the window I had just broken to reveal the familiar shape of a dark void which would lead me to the unknown. A new world entirely, if the past three had been anything to go by. It was a little silly just how used to this I was now- it was just another universe, no big deal. I'd done this thrice before and yet barely explored two of them, so no use hesitating.

"Well, in we go." I tentatively stepped through the window and into my newest destination.

Breathless. Darkness. Into the light again. I blinked away the dark patches in my gaze, fumbling out for the wall to steady myself and hopefully prevent myself from tripping over as I am apt to do when travelling via Ominous Portal. Unfortunately, all my efforts amounted to was me pushing myself over.

" _Damn am I glad that nobody saw that."_ I got to my feet, with far more dignity this time. _"Now, to see where I am…"_

A cityscape of some kind. I was in an elevated position which gave me a great view to see bustling streets, crowds of people in typical business attire- all the typical sights you'd find in a modern (albeit heavily industrialised) city. And the reason for my elevation was that I was standing on a rooftop.

"Well, this is gonna be awkward to get back and forth from." Almost as awkward as the Temple entrance in Fuyuki… which I hadn't dared return to since my embarrassing cover story was told. I could only hope that in a few weeks' time I could return there without feeling like I should commit seppuku on the spot, and maybe even start making progress on the Rin Social Link I was definitely not procrastinating on due to monetary concerns.

" _Speaking of… I still need to figure out how to go about that Social Link with Rin…"_ By all accounts, I was going to need to play up the 'Magus Act' to interact with her, so I still needed to make myself a Workshop on that side before she'd even be comfortable with my presence in the city.

"No distractions." I told myself firmly and set to the task of figuring out how to get down- focus on the here and now. There weren't any ladders or anything like that- just the door to the main building.

Ka-click. _"Locked. As expected. Go go gadget lockpick!"_

I thanked my lucky stars for my exploration of delinquency. Lockpicking comes in very handy. Now it's just a matter of seeing if I can make Molotov Cocktails reliable enough for my usage in the Labyrinth too…

Door unlocked. Time to Persona 5 this shit.

Sneakysneakysneakysneakysneaky. Stairs, more stairs, public toilet, and an elevator. I quickly read the plastic map next to it (Written in Japanese). I'm in a shopping centre. _"Okay. Slightly better then. If the Security cameras don't pick me up, anyway."_

Whistling innocently, I walk out into the shopping area, as if I had not a care in the world and had definitely _not_ illegally opened the lock on the rooftop door.

I didn't see the kind of shop I was looking for in the small centre, so I exited it, found the nearest convenience store, then bought myself a newspaper. Coffee store and light reading is a go.

" _Majima City. Japan. Doesn't exactly give me much to go off, since the name isn't exactly noteworthy, and with all the anime I watch with locales in anonymous city X this could really be from any series."_

In other words… it was time for me to go out looking for the Plot!

XXXXXXXXXX

Plot twist. I didn't find the plot. Not so much as a Persona Adventure Line TM. I searched for hours, but there was no plot to be had. Not a Scooby Doo. No blatantly anime looking girls. No superpowers or signs of magic usage. Not a single harem protagonist out on a venture with his girls for me to conveniently wander into.

The most excitement I found was when three gentlemen tried to mug me while investigating a bunch of shady back alleyways. It says something about the ridiculous nature of my life that being held at knifepoint didn't even bother me anymore. I didn't even kill and/or permanently maim any of them (though they may need to be sent for psychiatric help if they try to tell anyone that an undead knight riding a horse beat the shit out of them a little bit. Eh- I'm sure this definitely won't bite me in the arse later on).

I even resorted to the direst of techniques- loitering outside the local highschool in the hopes of spotting the protagonist of the day.

Nothing. Zlicho. Majima Private Highschool was a bust. Curse thee rule of three for expecting this to work a third time!

So in the end, there was no choice but to call an end to my search for answers and/or Social Links. I made my way back to the shopping centre with plenty of time to spare before places started shutting and people started asking questions and headed straight for the rooftop.

Disappointing. _"I'll just have to return another day and try again."_

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 25**

"Chill out. Things are going to turn out fine." I said, trying to sound reassuring. All my efforts amounted to a pointed look as if saying 'how did I let you convince me to do this', when funnily enough _she_ came to _me_. Women, am I right?

Sexist remarks aside, I could see why Taylor was so stressed. She didn't exactly have many memories of friendship to fall back upon, especially since Emma was pretty much tainted to her. So, how did she possibly know how to interact and make friends?

Simple answer. She doesn't. So that's why _I'm_ here. Because it's the blind leading the blind, and I intend to become Daredevil… or something like that.

"Well, we're here anyway. No turning back now." I pointed to the building we were meant to be meeting at. It was a fairly small place, the kinda venue you'd go to Scouts for, next to one of the few parks in Brockton Bay, and with a greenhouse in its own little plot of land. Operation Botany Buddies was a-go-go (And yes, Taylor was just as mortified by my operation name as I expected. Exactly as planned…).

"I know." She said, pausing before the door. With a shrug on my end, I sidestepped her and opened the door- practically causing her to jump out of her skin before she was able to stabilise herself. And so, in we go.

The building was just as unremarkable on the inside, and already had a lot of people there. About 15 or so were milling about in groups- while a plump woman was standing near the door. "Oh, hello! Are the two of you the ones that were asking about?"

"We are." I said, stepping forwards as our spokesperson. "We thought that gardening sounded fun." Urk. Gardening. "Would it be cool if we tried it once or twice?"

She smiled and nodded an assurance. "Not a problem. We start in fifteen minutes or so, so feel free to gossip with the others."

And thus, the sheep were thrown to the wolves. "Hey." One of the girls greeted us, parting away from her gaggle to approach us. "The names Sophie. You?"

I nudged Taylor. "I'm Taylor Hebert. Pronounced Heee-bert." She introduced herself.

"And I'm Theo." I inclined my head.

"Nice to meet you two." Sophie said, apparently genuine. "So, you actually thinking of joining or were you forced here by the folks?"

"Actually joining." Taylor said. "I thought it sounded… interesting."

She shrugged. "To be honest, I'm here more for my friends, y'know? Well, if that's what you like doing, who am I to judge." She looks to me. "You won't be the first boy to have joined, and we're all pretty chill here."

"That sounds good, doesn't it?" I say, mostly rhetorically, to Taylor. "Anyhow, since we're a bit new, would you mind introducing us to your friends?"

She giggled. "Not a problem. Come on over!"

Operation Botany Buddies is proceeding smoothly. Sophie quickly leads us around introducing us, before drawing us back into her own social circle. "This is going well, eh?" I whispered out of the corner of my mouth.

She looks to me and gives a quick nod, before her attention returns to the conversation at hand. Her face was still tense, her words still tentative, but Taylor _was_ talking and engaging with the group. Awkwardly, yes, but interacting none the less. The group was in turn tentative with her (and consequently me), being outsiders, but they weren't dismissive, and they tried to include us in their talks and explain their in-jokes.

As time continued, I made sure to keep my eye on Taylor, because slowly but surely there was something different about her manner. Before it felt like she was going through the motions, a drowning woman all but certain that her actions wouldn't help, but now?

I wouldn't say that Taylor Hebert's hope had returned to her. But at the very least, she had definitively seen that life goes on beyond the small ecosystem of Winslow High. And that maybe, given time, maybe something…

Well, it was a nice thought.

"So, what are you two? Going out?" One of Sophie's shorter friends, the youngest girl in the circle (Alice) asks.

I snort. "Nope. Just friends."

Taylor supplies her own nod. "Just a friend." She says, and it doesn't feel too forced.

"Are you sure about that?" Another one asks, slightly teasing.

My companion tenses up. "Yes." She said, and that was the end of that conversation topic.

Talk turned towards Sophie's own relationship woes. "You have a girlfriend?" I ask.

"Yup. She actually shows up here too." Sophie said, casually. "Now if only she could be anything but fashionably late." A buzz from her pocket. A text message- Sophie skimmed it over briefly. "There we go. Late. As expected. I guess I'll have to introduce her when she shows up."

"I guess so." Taylor stated.

It was about then that the woman in charge raised her voice, stating that it was time to begin. Cue talks on… gardening. Shudder. Sat down on benches for a quick chat (More accurately, a lecture) that we needed to sit through before we'd be allowed outside to 'get our hands dirty'. Looking round the room, pretty much everyone looked a little disinterested in the lecture save for one or two really passionate gardeners.

And then about ten minutes in Sophie's girlfriend finally wandered in. She popped her head through the door and gave Sophie a little wave, before slipping in and heading towards us, before she stopped suddenly- eyes locked elsewhere in surprise.

Now, I didn't know this girl. She was rather petite- cute as a button, but she looked a lot younger than I knew her to be. And despite having never seen her face before, despite never having heard her speak, I already knew we were in trouble. Because she was looking dead in the eyes at Taylor, who was recoiling back almost like a whimpering puppy.

This new girl knew Taylor. She was from Winslow. She was probably a bully.

I didn't like her.

She quickly approached us, kissed Sophie on the cheek then looked to me- gesturing for me to move aside so she could sit down next to Taylor. I mouthed 'not on your life', and her face darkened as she got the picture. Instead she passed by to go sit on Sophie's other side (Cuing Alice to shuffle over instead).

And then I heard her speak, if only because she wasn't being that subtle in her whispering and because I was listening in like my life depended on it. "Oh, hello Taylor."

Then, Taylor's dead response. "Madison."

Madison. _"Mother fucking Madison Clements."_ Through sheer bad luck, we had stumbled into the extra-curricular group that one of Taylor's three main bullies frequented. This was so fucked up in terms of bad luck that it wasn't even funny.

Because all progress made was gone. Taylor was still as a statue now not because she was awkward, but rather because she was anxious. Maybe even terrified. Waiting for the worst. Anticipating what was to come. She'd came here to try and escape from her problems at Winslow, to find something to look forwards to outside.

And now this happened.

" _If Madison dares try to start anything…"_ I didn't give a shit about my reputation. I was a traveller, at this point. A nomad between worlds. And while I'd never consciously tried to walk into a fight before (And have never been in fisticuffs whatsoever with a human being) … let's just say that if Madison _dared_ to mess with Taylor while I was about, then I wasn't against making an exception. Because I believe in the Kazuma approach to true gender equality, and I'm not afraid to smack a bitch- especially after everything this one has done too, and eventually _will_ do.

If it wasn't clear already, the one thing I loathed above all else was a bully.

Metaphorical guns were loaded, and the dust bunnies rolled as the lecture slowly but surely came to an end, and with it the silence.

"Hey Mads." Sophie said with a smile, not at all noticing the sudden tension. "You know Taylor here?"

"Oh, we go to the same school." She said with an innocent looking smile. "We've spoken quite a bit, haven't we?"

Taylor for the most part was looking to the door- as if wondering if it was worth running.

Madison continued. "Anyway, I'm surprised to see you here. Thought you'd be too busy doing… _other_ … things." She said, and the unspoken implications of what she was probably implying ticked me off. "Really, Taylor? Are you sure you're good to be out in public like this?"

"Hello Madison." I said, stepping into the conversation. "Name's Theo."

"Hello?" She said, a bizarre, incomprehensible look on her face that somehow slipped through her cutesy façade- the look of someone wondering 'who is this loser trying to speak to me?'.

"Anyway," I said with a ridiculously cheery voice. "if you could stop beating about the bush and say what you really mean about my friend over there, that would be great. Because then maybe we could do some talking too."

And now her eyes narrowed- I'd set myself up against her, and that couldn't do. Her eyes flickered from me and back to Taylor, and she smiled. "I see you got yourself a little boyfriend, Taylor. You _really_ should have told me. Where did you find him, hmmmm? In an alleyway? Maybe even the dumpster?"

Perhaps that was the straw that broke the camel's back, or perhaps it was me directly involving myself in the mess, or maybe the petrification had just worn off and Taylor was going to do it irrespective of how this talk was going down. Either way, without another word, Taylor turned on her heel and practically sprinted outside.

"Taylor!" I called out to her- no reply. _"Fuck, that girl speedwalks. Better go catch up with her."_

"What was that about?" Madison put a hand to her mouth, as if genuinely shocked. "Oh well. Taylor's always been a little weird. That's why she has no friends. Why, I've heard over the grapevine that-"

"You can _shut up_." I practically hissed at her, taking a menacing step towards her.

"Oi, back off!" Sophie stepped forwards herself in defence of Madison. She didn't look happy. I didn't care.

"I haven't got time for this." I told them, turning to leave.

"Going to go comfort your girlfriend?" Madison's faux kind voice asked.

"One, not my girlfriend." Let's get that straight. "Two," This time I directed my voice to Sophie. "you have a ridiculously two-faced bitch of a girlfriend. I'd think twice before kissing lips that have said shit like she has."

And then I was leaving before I could hear them reply, because the important thing here was _Taylor_.

It took a large amount of searching, and I was almost certain I'd lost her, before I finally found her completely by accident at a bus stop- eyes downcast and fists clenched.

"Hey." I greeted. Taylor didn't reply. "Fuck, that was a shit storm, wasn't it?"

"You think!" She snapped back. "Really, the _one_ time I try to go out and be happy, and then _this_ happens! I never should have tried! Nothing works! Nothing will ever change!"

I reached out and gave her a firm flick upon the forehead. "Calm your tits, Taylor."

"Easy for you to say." She said, this time perhaps a little more calmly, as she rubbed her forehead. "That was mortifying. My bully showed up and ruined _everything_. It wouldn't surprise me if Emma uses this as ammunition next week. God, things are only worse now that they know I'm trying this."

"It's shit." I admit. "And… I'm sorry. This was my idea."

"It was." She agreed. "Thanks for trying but… I don't think anything will work at this point. All I can do is endure until college and hope I don't accidentally end up sharing a room with _Sophia_ or something…" A horrifying thought, I must admit. But it was more the implication that Taylor just couldn't see a way out of this- that once again she was going to give up and just meekly accept everything. Just keep bottling all that shit up… until the locker.

I shook away such contemplations. "Taylor, I'm stubborn as fuck. You underestimate my levels of spite. If anything, I was to help you even more now, just to get back at that bitch."

She raised an eyebrow. "You might _want_ to help, but you can't. Nobody can."

"Just watch me." I said, and I was resolute in this. "Before I wanted to help as I could empathise with you, and because there was really no harm in me helping you out." The Magic superpowers helped too, as did the fact that Taylor was one of my personal literary heroes. "Now though… now I want to do it because I _really_ don't like bullies, and I really don't like Madison Clements."

Somehow, I brought a little grin to her mouth, and it makes me burst into a beam too- because such a sight makes me happy. "She _is_ pretty unlikable, isn't she?"

"Sure, she _looks_ cute, but she's so shallow that if she was a paddling pool the kids would complain that their toes weren't wet enough."

Was that a- did Taylor just _snort_? "I pity Sophie for having a girlfriend like that."

"Heh. For Valentine's Day Madison would probably give her a _literal_ heart."

Another snort! I wasn't wrong! Taylor, don't you even try to hide that you thought that was funny.

"Now, if only everyone else thought so too…" Taylor lapses back into deep thought.

"Taylor, there are two faced bitches in all walks of life. And if there's one thing I know, those masks don't last forever. They'll hold for awhile, but eventually they break, and people see them for what they are and want nothing to do with them. I bet Sophie will break up with her eventually." And if my words had anything to do with it, even better.

"More of the 'one day your beauty will fade, and you'll end up working at a supermarket while I'm rich and successful' argument?"

"Pretty much." I agreed. Then, Taylor shuffled over at my urging and I sat down next to her so I could give her a reassuring tap on the shoulder. "Chin up. We both know it's not forever. While things look bleak, stubborn folk like us can always try again. Next time let's go read a damned book or something. Way cooler than _gardening._ "

The someday-Superhero sighed. "I guess… I guess once isn't enough for me pack in the towel. Maybe this will make the Trio worse, but it's just one more bit of ammunition for them. Nothing special. And they can't be everywhere. So sure. Let's try elsewhere."

"Looking forward to it." I told her with a grin.

KA-CRACK.

The world slowed and darkened, and a flame expanded once more as new fuel was added to it. That tentative bond of the Hanged Man Arcana… it felt a little more solid now. More defined, less tense, and with a little less hanging between us. I was involved now, and I hadn't abandoned her. She could rely on me, while I in turn had seen the face of opposition and resolved to stand by her against them more directly. It was only natural for our bond to increase to Rank 3.


	8. Chapter 8

**AN-surprise update! A prompt update!? Nae- this must be an illusion! (All seriousness, this was basically done, and polished up quickly). Today we have a nice dosage of plot. Enjoy! :)**

 **Chapter 8**

 **Day 27**

"How long has it been? Not even three weeks, and you've already torn your costume." The masked woman mused quietly as she inspected the torn nature of my coat. Scars in my Kevlar from a Puddle, a raking claw across the back of the coat from an eagle shaped Shadow guarding a chest of gold, there was a noticeable burn along the shoulder area, while I'd somehow caught my sleeve with my own blade and made _that_ particular cut.

"Capes get into a lot of mischief." I pointed out.

"You must do." She agreed, finally putting the coat aside. "Still, it's repairable, even if it _will_ add to your debt."

"That's fine." I agreed. As long as it continued to protect me, I was happy. On that note- I dumped a bag on the tabletop that clanged and jingled.

"Do I want to know what's in there?"

I raised a knowing eyebrow. "Well, if you want paying, then yes."

She opened the bag. "Why, oh why, do you have authentic Spanish golden coins here?"

"They were all out of diamonds." I admitted. The Second Floor had already provided me two treasures- one in the customary exit to that unidentified world, and the second from a chest. Neither of them happened to be gems, so I just assumed different themes for different floors.

"I mean… I don't even know how to appraise these. Just looking at their engravings, I imagine they have a lot of historical significance!"

"Sure. Let's go with that." In reality, to my eyes, the designs upon them were more fantastical than historical. Creatures of unknown design, eyes everywhere, a reoccurring motif of an open door… while a few were adorned with what looked like a feathered wheel. They were Shadow Money- just in a larger quantity. Wherever I dragged them, I was sure they'd appear just as equally impressive. "Do you want them then?"

"Would it kill you to pay normally?" She said, with perhaps a note of weariness in her tone. Surely, it took her great effort to process whatever valuable garbage I dragged in and sell it off to actually get her profit.

"Well, if anything it kills me to pay abnormally." I joked. "All seriousness though, I don't really have the connections myself, so I _can't_ process them. I humbly apologise for the burden."

She sighed, but still took the bag. "I suppose that business is business. And as long as it's not illegal, it's fine. Though considering the loot you keep bringing me, you make it very hard to _not_ believe that you're a Villain."

"I'm more Mercenary really, as I said." Though I hadn't said much ado about nothing. "And I'm not really allowed to talk about it."

"Then you're doing a good job of it." She remarked. "I haven't seen that costume at all out. Not a single mention of it anywhere."

"I acknowledge that I look about as shifty as a shifty Shiftry, and it's hard to believe, but I really am not doing anything illegal." Because there are no laws against fighting the embodiments of human psyche for glory and profit.

"I know. But considering the lack of details, you can't blame a woman for worrying."

"Look it at this way," I began, considering it from another angle. "if whatever I'm doing is quiet enough that my costume hasn't yet been spotted, then that means I have no enemies and left no trace, so whatever I'm doing can't come back and bite you in the ass."

"Except the jewels and coins that you could be illegally flogging me?"

Couldn't help but smirk at that remark. "Except for those, yes. But at this point you've already flogged them! We're accomplices, miss Parian!"

It was almost certain that an eyeroll accompanied that rather loud sigh of hers. "I suppose we are. At any rate, so long as you bring no trouble to me, I can deal with your… eccentricities."

"I guess you'll repair my sweet ass coat then?"

"Have no fear- as you put it, that 'sweet ass coat' will be mended. In fact, I'm almost done." I blink in surprise and look to where my costume once rested- except now it was in a completely different spot in the room and had a set of needle and threads currently weaving through the material.

"Wow. Impressive."

"If you make a joke about women and multitasking, then I'm not afraid to get Mr Fluffykins over there to throw you out." She pointed to the literal cotton Elephant in the room.

"No jokes here." I swore, crossing my heart. Never mess with a woman who can telekinetically shank you with a needle. So, I patiently waited for the rush order to be finished.

"Here you go. One 'sweet ass coat'." She said, handing me the industrially precisely folded coat. "Anything else you want?"

"A really nice sofa would be cool too. Extra points for if it's obnoxiously oversized. I can pay with the guts of the shadow monsters I slay for a living."

"Please get out of my shop already."

… okay. Maybe I took the trolling a little too far? _"Maybe just a bit. Can I still have my Social Link Rank Up please?"_

Naturally, there was no rank up.

XXXXXXXXXX

"Welp… last time went… well." Taylor gave me that oh so familiar 'well, really?' look. "Okay, it was terrible. Absolutely horrible."

"It really was."

"How were things today at school?"

"Absolutely terrible."

"Ah. Average day at Winslow then."

She sighed into her drink. "It backfired exactly as we expected it would. At least I knew what their taunts of the day would be based around."

"Still sorry about that, by the way."

"Don't be." Taylor waved me off. "I've had all weekend to think about it. None of us could possibly expect that Madison actually had a life outside of bullying me. That she had other friends, had a… a-"

"A loving girlfriend?"

"Yeah." She gave me an odd look, as if to say 'one of MY bullies in a loving relationship? No thank you'. "Point is, you were only trying to help. It is a shame though. I was actually starting to enjoy myself before she showed up."

"For now though, back to the drawing board?"

"I honestly just want to bury my head in the sand at the moment." She admitted. "It might be paranoia, but at this point I'm tempted to stake out whatever miscellaneous club I choose to visit next. Just to make sure Sophia doesn't have the inner core of a Shakespeare fan, or something."

Seemed that the book club idea was the next one on her list to attempt. "Well, just let me know when and my meddlesome body will be sure to accompany you."

"Yeah. I'll be sure to do that." She said, perhaps a little surprised to actually be meaning it.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 29**

I sat by the broken window, casually throwing a bag of gold up in the air before catching it once more. I rested my sword casually across my lap- in a position where I could rise to my feet quickly enough to be able to make the final turn and step through the window behind me.

But why was I doing this? Well, I'd found another exit today after a long, gruelling session. Again, it was ridiculously unusual how I'd found my _fifth_ world at this point (too many sandboxes to explore!), but let's not dwell on that. In fact, let me dwell on a different matter. I'd been on this floor for too long- long enough for the Pale Lady's spawning timer to have been crossed. And so, I was waiting for her- or for whatever would come. Because I was curious, wanted to see if the rules of the Grey Lady were consistent from floor to floor or not.

" _Forty-five minutes."_ I acknowledged, looking at the watch around my wrist.

KA-KLUNK.

There we go. A very different sound to the chains I was accustomed to. A loud, sudden groan of stone- like something heavy shifting. I looked up to the ceiling and saw that part of it had moved- bringing it lower to the ground than the rest of the surface. _"Ehhhh… what is that supposed to be-"_ There! A pale, white streak of air not there before- emerging from the protrusion. More gas now- definitely more.

"Its gas. The floor is _gassing me_." Slowly but surely, I could see more and more vapour pouring out of the protrusion. I quickly sprint to the open doorway and see another protrusion further down the corridor, with its own gas coming out.

"That answers that then. This floor has gas traps. The Grey Lady could maybe still show up too, but there is also this." So, even as the gas pours out, I withdraw my notebook and carefully write notes. "The only question now is how risky I play this."

I'm right by the gateway to a new world, after all. I could probably get away with loitering here for a good long while- could maybe figure out how long that gas takes to fill up the room, maybe see how dangerous it was. This could also be a RIDICULOUSLY DUMB IDEA, however. _"Only a dumbass willingly stays in a room full of probably poisonous gas."_

"I'll wait a bit." I decided, and so I waited- watching the dispenser with shallow breaths- slowly seeing the gas expand and slowly get closer to the ground. Finally, I saw a thin layer around me, and began to cough. Nothing serious or immediately- it was like smoke. I checked my times- four minutes. Four minutes before the gas started becoming something immediately worrying.

"That'll do." Errand done, I stepped backwards into the shattered doorway to a new world- marginally more aware of the consequences of overstaying my welcome within the Labyrinth.

XXXXXXXXXX

Pitch blackness. For a moment, my heart stopped. I didn't know what was happening. I'd stepped through the black portal to a new world, as I'd done four times before and repeated many other times. Yet- what was happening now?

My hands rapidly checked myself over. Still here. All is fine. I'm definitely _somewhere._ Just a matter of where.

I stared patiently into the darkness (no matter how much the void made me want to run), listening as I did so for anything. Yes-there was definitely something moving. I wasn't alone. The skittering noise of many small things moving. _"Welp. Maybe it's not too late to take the gas?"_

Now if only I could actually see where the damned wall I came in from was. No- all I could do was wait. It wouldn't be long now- the darkness wasn't quite so prevalent. Eyes were adapting- and now I could see that it wasn't completely dark.

Finally, I could see enough to recognise where I was. A thick cylindrical tunnel- and standing beside a railway track that felt warm to touch. "Yeah. This is too creepy. Can I go home please?"

Perhaps I shouldn't have spoken, because the quiet background noise of skittering suddenly stopped. Then, in the depths of the shadows, I could see something move. Something large. _"If this is LITERALLY Lovecraft, then I'm just giving up here and now."_

And then the thing _moved_.

"DANTE!" I roared, and my protector appeared with flaming sword. The darkness was cast aside in a single painful moment and I caught a glimpse of something black and writhing- of lunging hands and sharp blades before my strongest Agi plunged into flesh and it bubbled- the limbs closest to my attack withering away.

The pull for Dante to fade away hit me hard, but I ignored it- focusing on Dante's flames and light. It would save or break me.

In the harsh light and sharp shadows, the walls of the tunnel began to rotate around me, while the floor remained stable. The beast broke apart and fled into the dark crevices of walls and spread, flooding around me to wherever my light didn't touch. I spun, seeing just how quickly it was advancing, and noticed various fingers try and test my light before deciding that patience was more prudent.

Luckily, I wasn't limited to just Dante. I took a shallow breath, shut my eyes and allowed my Persona to be dragged back into the depths of my soul, before immediately tugging on another bond. It was just as I felt something wet and slimy touching my thigh that Angel appeared with a halo of its own light, casting a weak Hama straight at the floor below me.

It wasn't to do damage- no. It was for defence. This _thing_ hated my light, it _wanted_ it, and so I would _give it_. "HAMA!" I yelled again, aiming at where the shadows looked thickest. The ball of Blessed power slammed straight into it, and it _screamed_. Shifting and changing and crying out in denial of its own damage. Recklessly, a thousand barbed claws raced towards me, uncaring of how much of it was being sheared away by Angel's passive light.

Once more, I shut my eyes and allowed Angel to fade. "Dante, to-"

BOOM!

One moment the shadow was on the attack and the tunnel was dark, the next I could see fire and horrible light even through my shut eyes. I tried to blink it away- vaguely spotting someone before me. Another blink and they were gone, and from elsewhere what looked like an industrial sized spotlight switched on- its focus directly upoon the beast.

Again, and again, it cried out and reformed, but was burned away as soon as it did. I saw now that the spotlight had acted like a binding circle- trapping the monster within, and slowly but surely scorching away whatever resources it used to sustain itself.

It was small now- oh so small and pitiful. A child beckoned me to save it with half-formed lips, and then it was over. Nothing but a small _something_ which clanged to the floor.

And by over- I meant over. The tunnel itself burned away with it- revealing similar (if illuminated) brickwork. Wherever I had been trapped was gone, and I was firmly back in the real world. A subway tunnel, by the looks of it. Flickering lights overhead. Maybe disused- who could say?

"What the flippity fuck was that?" I asked, looking around to try and find whoever it was that bailed my ass out.

"A Witch. Suleika was her name." A girl's soft voice replied. I looked behind me to see a raven-haired girl in a pale coat and dark skirt tucking the dropped object into her pocket, before picking up a large box of some kind and… did she just shove it into a shield? Why yes- yes, she did. "Sorry for not getting here sooner. I had to clear a path through the Familiars."

Witches. Familiars. And this girl. She was just _as_ familiar. I knew her. Now that I'd seen her, now that I'd heard her speak, I knew her. I knew her _story._

" _Akemi Homura."_ A magical girl. A timelooping magical girl. And if she was here, that meant this world was _Madoka Magica_. "Oh, fuck me." I whispered. Of the worlds I could have ended up with, this wasn't the worst, but it was pretty damn bad. When a series becomes infamous specifically for luring the audience into a false sense of security before tearing off its façade as an average magical girl series to showcase its true purpose as a bloody deconstruction… well, that's rather telling, isn't it?

"I'm glad to see you unharmed, anyway." Homura continued, smiling just a little bit. Then, she reached into her shield and pulled something else out. A sealed envelope. "I know you're pretty confused right now, so here."

I took it- dread already sinking in as I got hints as to what the hell was going on. Because there was no possible way for anyone to know that I would be in trouble at this point- while Homura didn't seem particularly surprised to see me.

My hands shakily withdrew the letter within. The handwriting was unfamiliar, but it was legible enough to read and was in English, so I immediately started to scan its contents.

 _ **Hey James, this is your regularly scheduled broadcasting message from your friendly, neighbourhood Future!James. And before you throw this aside as a bad joke, I have but this to say- 88 reasons to quantum leap and kill a time lord.**_

Ayup. Just as I feared. Madoka Magica was a closed timeloop scenario created by Homura Akemi desperately trying to save someone she cared about from a terrible fate. And it seemed that based upon this message, I was just as stuck in this timeloop as any other resident of this world would be. If my meta knowledge of the series didn't cement this, then the cryptic statement at the end sold me to the fact that this was definitely from _some version_ of me.

Shut up- it is _not_ dumb to have a safety phrase set up so that if you ever needed to time travel and persuade past versions of yourself of the validity of said time travel then you would have the option, _you're dumb_.

Still, this told me one thing. While Homura knew me… one thing I bet she _didn't_ know was of my meta knowledge. Otherwise Future!Me wouldn't have needed to use the safety phrase to try and persuade me when a quick 'It's Madoka Magica' would have likely been enough.

 _ **Anyway. This is the situation. You're in a time loop and there are magical girls. That isn't important. Homura can explain that crap later. Instead, here's a few of the more important tips I have to make things move a little smoother.**_

" _Well, at least future me is being helpful about the situation. It beats him being a jerk like EMIYA about it."_ Tips though…

 _ **Firstly, trust Homura. You might be given reason to believe otherwise, but she's a good girl and we're allies. More than that, she's our Fortune.**_

Boom. Immediate plot twist. Homura was a Social Link. I guess it wasn't _too_ unexpected.

 _ **Then we have Mami. Keep a real close eye on that lemming. We like our Empress with her head firmly on, thank you very much. She might LOOK like she's easy to manage, but she really isn't. Of all the girls, she dies the most. She just can't handle the truth.**_

Another Social Link reveal. Maybe it was a little bit cheaty being told in advance who I had to find, but it _did_ help. The fact that Mami was apparently a pain in the ass to some potential version of myself also wasn't that surprising. _"Shit. I have no clue why I'm not freaking out more about the time travel thing."_

 _ **We've got our Chariot too. Kyoko. She's pretty chill if you can survive her attempts to murder you first.**_

… also not very surprising. Cut to the chase, old man!

 _ **Now, it's SAYAKA that you really need to worry about. No Social Link to muddle things up, but that doesn't impact her significance in the slightest. Dominos. Sayaka is a lynchpin- she goes down, and everyone starts to follow. Mostly Mami. Fuckin' Mami.**_

" _Amen brother."_ Already I could feel the plight of this other James. He seemed to _really_ have troubles with that girl.

 _ **Surprise Social Link mother fucker! Tomohisa Kaname. Madoka's dad. You'll meet**_ **Madoka** _ **soon enough, but for now attention is on her pops. Anyhow, he's not an immediately life-threatening concern and doesn't affect the loop much, but there you go. Make sure it stays that way. Best Stay at Home Dad stays alive or we'll be having words, mister. Though, if you need to prioritise your time, he unfortunately doesn't need to stay alive nearly as much as everyone else does. So… I**_ **guess** _ **he can probably be put on the back burner if necessary, in favour of Friendshipping the others.**_

Okay, fair enough, no need to roast me alive Future!Me. I mean, it's a little surprising. Note- really surprising. I had expected Social Links, but not normally with someone with so little a part in the Plot. But I'll see what I can do, Future!Me.

 _ **Now for the**_ **important stuff** _ **. Of all the things to ignore, this is not that.**_

The serious face is on. It's serious time.

 _ **Whatever you do-**_ _ **DO NOT DRAG PEOPLE INTO THE LABYRINTH.**_ _ **You're gonna have a bad time if you do, m'kay? You might have your reasons, and you might think that they're GOOD reasons, but they really aren't worth the Nightmares. A Magical Girls Nightmare is REALLY bad, so please don't. Homura can give you the full exposition dump.**_

Nightmares, and the Labyrinth directly mentioned. M'kay, I'm gonna need to REALLY bother Homura about this. That sounds pretty damn important. Especially since Igor and Lavenza refer to me as 'Dreamer'.

 _ **Okay. This is getting a bit too long for Homura to reasonably remember. I'll finish things off now. Make sure you keep an up to date version of this letter at all times. When you find new information you find particularly relevant, add it to the letter and inform our resident time traveller. She can't carry the letter with her when she restarts the loop, but she**_ **can** _ **memorise its contents. If she omits details or decides our amendments aren't relevant, there we go, her funeral.**_

 _ **And Theo… don't. Get. Cocky. You might have the Wild Card, you might have a few tricks up your sleeve, and you might be a trump card in the unstable card tower which is Mitihara… but so was I. You might think that this will be**_ **the** _ **timeline, the final one, but it's not. I was attempt number 13. You're number 14. The you that your presently are failed to help Homura resolve this mess**_ **thirteen times** _ **. So, don't expect to win without a herculean effort on your own part, and a tonne of good fortune elsewhere. It's hard to accept, but you might just end up setting the stage for mister 15 to try instead.**_

Now, of all the things mentioned so far, that was the thing that hit me the most. I was Number Fourteen. I'd actively dived into a timeloop and had been doing this shit for long enough that it proved that even with my presence and knowledge I couldn't just fix this shit with a snap of the fingers. My foreknowledge has apparently done jack shit so many times that Future!James had to physically tell me how useless I am.

" _There is the very real possibility that I'm gonna die soon. That I'll die and that my existence will be wiped out as Homura goes back to try again. And even if I don't die, when she turns back the clock, I'll be wiped out anyway."_ My mortality had never been more apparent. And I couldn't… I just couldn't _accept that_.

"Finish the letter, please." Homura said, and I almost tripped up. I'd all but forgotten about the girl patiently waiting for me to finish. "You freak out about this every time we've done this, so try not to worry about it too much." She flashed me a little grin. "As you often say, 'these are problems for Future!James. Though, considering the loop, it may _also_ be a problem for Past!James too.'"

A reassuring, smiling Homura? Yeah- this is weird. I had to wonder exactly what had happened during those thirteen timelines… she had a point though. There was still more to read.

 _ **Don't let me get you**_ **too** _ **bummed out though. It's not all bad. We have time on our side. We WILL succeed. Eventually. Now, Theos are a person that need a target to aim for. So, here's a goal for you. Help Homura Akemi. End the timeloop. Experiment. Try something new. All the common tactics have been exhausted, and Homura can tell you all about them. Don't be afraid to give this your all and go big or broke.**_

 _ **And most of all, don't you dare give up. Don't make the sacrifices of the last thirteen Theo's meaningless. The torch has been passed to you- so set this world ablaze. Now- I'm gonna go now. Got things to do, and people to shank. Walpurgisnacht approaches, and tonight is a good night to die…**_

 _ **See you later space cowboy.**_

And it ended there. No sign off. Just an ominous prebattle note- something Homura likely needed to memorise very quickly to have gotten it to me now. Number 13 fought Walpurgisnacht. He probably died.

My hands clutched the note so tightly I was scared it would tear, but I was eventually able to relax my grip and slide the note paid for in my own blood into my pocket.

A dainty hand found its way to my cheek- prodding me out of my glum thoughts. "You've given so much up to help me." The magical girl's tone was soft. "But I can't do this alone. Can I rely on you to help me once again?"

"Fuck it." I groaned, cracking my knuckles before offering a hand to her to shake. "The worst bit is I know exactly how much shit I'm getting myself into. But fine. Fine. For the past 13 Theos, and for whatever reason they began this mess. Let's do this. Whatever _this_ is."

"Partner." She agreed, taking my hand with a resolved look. Then, she lunged out with her free arm to grab my other shoulder. I wondered why she was doing it, but then moments after she grabbed me, I knew exactly what she was prepared for.

Fire. Heartburn. Something unseen soared to life like a pyre- burning rapidly out of control. I could feel it- a bond. A bond with weight and substance that was already there, yet oh so new and raw. It was power. Like espresso pumped straight into the bloodstream. And then with the rush came the crash, and I could feel my body force the fire down and combat the blaze.

I was on the ground I realised, with my head resting on something warm. Someone's lap. Finally, the warmth was contained, and the image of a precariously balanced, cracking wheel faded from my eyes. "Ouch."

"I'm sorry." Homura said. "That Social Links hurts, doesn't it?"

"Shit, I've never felt anything like it." And I hadn't. Not a single Arcana had been anywhere near this extreme- nor any Rank Ups.

"The issue is that its sudden." She explained. "We… we have a bond. Igor explains it better for you, but bonds go both ways, and can also go one way. And I have…"

"Thirteen Theos worth of drama to sort out. Whereas to me, this is brand spanking new. Fuck." Yeah- no wonder it hit me like that. She was my bond of the Fortune Arcana- but we weren't forging a new bond. The bond was made across thirteen long loops of time. That's a lot of baggage. So sure, _I_ made the bond just now, but for Homura the bond was pre-existing…

"This is complicated." I groaned. "But at least I get an immediate Rank 4 Social Link out of things."

"I'm your strongest bond." She told me, and was that… I didn't know why, but to me that expression was on the rather smug side. "Anyway, are you fit to travel?"

Blink. Oh. Still resting on this underaged girls lap. In a subway tunnel. "Yeah. Maybe we should go before a policeman comes and I have another awkward scenario to deal with."

So, I got up, and so did she. She brushed off her skirt and gestured further into the tunnels. "Anyway. I'll lead you back here tomorrow so you know exactly where the gateway is and can deal with the Velvet Room and your side of things. But for now, you'll want an explanation, some dinner, and a good night's sleep."

"I do." I admitted.

"Then in that case, let's go." She said, dragging me by my cuff further into the subway network of Japan. Here and now, I couldn't help but feel like I was on a new step of my journey. Before I'd been dicking around in the Labyrinth for a month, but now… now things were about to get real. This was the first canonical event of any of the worlds I'd visited that I was directly involving myself in.

Things had just changed massively for me. And I was going to have to change with them- if only so I didn't end up as just one more steppingstone for Theo Number Fifteen.

 **AN- why hello actual plot. Its good to see you.**

 **Welcome to the 'second act' of this story. The base worlds have been established (… mostly). Now its time to start Multicrossing this shit. Good luck Theo- you'll need it.**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN- I'm back with your (ir)regularly scheduled portion of Multicross stuff. Enjoy :)**

 **Chapter 9**

Homura eventually ended up leading me to the northwest side of Mitakihara Town, where her longstanding home stood. Technically she'd moved in 'recently' but adding time travel to the mix just muddles everything, really.

It was surprising just how old the building she lived in looked- a Victorian style block at a y-intersection and surrounded by skyscrapers in all directions. A slab of old, amidst a large swathe of modern. From there, it was straight into the apartment that she owned (and apparently gained via a long and elaborate series of events she'd figured out across her time-jumps). The interior of her room was almost a complete contrast to its exterior: white walls, dozens of screens capturing images I didn't have the context to recognise and a large number of curving sofas that gave the impression of a clock.

And then she clicked her fingers and the white walls faded away, peeling back to reveal a room that matched its outside. My shocked expression must have been amusing to Homura as she took a seat at the far more normal sofa. "It's always funny to see how you react to my holograms. My 'Witch Hunting setup', I suppose you could say."

"Magic is bullshit." I reaffirmed, taking a seat of my own across from her on another seat. "So. Shall we cut to the chase?"

"Probably for the best." She agreed. "I'll tell you how the loop began and give you a brief summary of how the loops have been going. You can learn the individual details as we progress."

"And just how long will the timeloop be? How long do I have to 'adapt', as it were?"

"Adapt quickly." She stated the obvious. "The endgame can show up at the three weeks mark at minimum, but more regularly shows up at four weeks."

"28 days… not a lot to go off." I mused.

"The good news for you is that you always appear midway in the loop, so I've already gotten a lot of the early setup done. Now, the timeline picks up. But before we look to the future, I should start with the past." With that, Homura began her harrowing tale.

It was a story I already knew, albeit one told slightly differently from the mouth of one who lived it. I heard all about Homura's first timeloop, about becoming a Magical Girl, about the friends she made and the things she learned, and just how terribly it all ended. In despair and death, and a wish to go back. And for me, the hardest thing about it all was to keep a straight face- to make my reactions believable and not hint to the fact that I already knew. I wasn't good at lying… but acting was a little bit different, and I was more lying by omission.

And then the tale progressed- going into how she woke up on a hospital bed, before the events she'd seen had come to pass. And how with terrible optimism Homura sought to fix the terrible events which she'd seen… and inevitably failed. And tried again. And failed. With that began the generalisation, summing up her time with broad statements.

Finally, she reached the part I _didn't know_. "And then, something strange happened. The loops had been going on for quite some time now, and occasionally something new and unknown cropped up- completely unpredictable and unforeseen. New magical girls, different witches and interactions… but they were all isolated events that never seemed to reappear. Until one of the one-offs stopped being a one-off."

"Me." I answered. "You're talking about my appearance here."

"Exactly. You appeared." Homura smiled. Still _really_ uncanny, might I add. "The first time I treated you like any other unknown. Monitored you, watched your actions, used you, tried to minimise your interference. Heh. Like _that_ was ever going to happen. Then I reset… and you were _still there_. I… well… things happened." I couldn't help but hold back a laugh- _things happened_. "The end result was that you ended up trying to help me in that second timeline, and you learned what happened to me. You… you agreed to help. And before you died, you told me that silly password of yours and told me to try and ask for help next time."

"Thus, began our 'partnership'." I said, clearly expressing the air quotations.

"No. Our partnership began in timeline three when I took a risk and told you that password… and then _you believed me_. You offered me your help almost immediately. And _that_ was when we became partners."

"It only took three timelines too. Wow, I suck at this socialisation thing."

"You aren't as bad as you think. Especially considering I am 'as prickly as an angsty cactus', according to you." The look in her eyes was a bizarre mixture of amusement and resignation.

"That _does_ sound like me." I agreed. "Though… do I ever have much luck with my other Social Links?"

"Mixed results. I may have messed up a few of them for you, across these loops." She admitted reluctantly. "Your… association… with me never truly goes down well the later the timeline proceeds."

"I can roll with that." Or rather, I was gonna have to roll with it. Get good or get dead, and what not.

Flick. "You have that look on your face again." She stated, as if acknowledging a simple fact. "I think we've spoken enough for now. You know the gist of things and know what questions you'll need to ask next. I should give you some time to acclimatise yourself."

"I'd appreciate that." And I would- I was still feeling a little out of it from the letter I still had in my pocket, and the revelations I'd learned from it. It's hard to stare your upcoming death in the face like that and I just kinda… needed time to process it. I felt like I was running on automatic, and part of me just wanted to crash and sleep.

"As much as I'd like to take you to the spare room, you should really eat first." Well, she _did_ mention dinner before. "I'll go serve it up."

"Wait… you cooked something?"

"I prepared something in advance." Homura said from the kitchen area of the apartment. I was surprised that I hadn't noticed that empty plates had been left on the side even before I'd arrived, and that the table had been set too. _"The joys of being an ally to a time looper."_

"You didn't have to go to the trouble."

"I did." She countered, manifesting her magic time-stopping shield. The shield clicked, and from its depths a _literal pot_ was pulled out- still hot and practically steaming.

"Magic is bullshit." And apparently has more mundane applications than one would expect.

"Hmmm… by this point, I'm starting to think that's your catchphrase. Now, are you going to keep arguing until the food gets cold, or are you going to sit down?"

"Yes ma'am." I like arguing, but I like food more. And whatever it was she'd cooked up smelled good. I slipped into my seat and patiently waited while she placed the pot on the side and went for a serving spoon. Idly, I noted that my drink had been ready and waiting for me too- Diet Coke.

"Well, here you go." She said, placing the plate before me. Golly gosh it looked good. Spaghetti in a creamy sauce, bacon lardons scattered across the top and with seasoning and parmesan.

"Spaghetti carbonara… my favourite dish." The meal that my mum always used to serve up for special occasions, that never failed to put a smile on my face; my drink of choice; and a host far too smiley in disposition considering what I knew of her. I smelled a rat.

Homura gestured for me to tuck in but didn't move to eat herself. She looked a little resigned, if anything.

"You don't have to bullshit me." I said, instead of starting to eat the wonderfully prepared dish. "All the niceness, my favourite food, you don't… you don't have to _bribe me_ to get me to help you. I've already agreed to help, and I'd rather you act like you normally do."

"I'm not bribing you. And I'm not being nice because it makes it easier for you to work with me. The fact that it does is mostly just an extra benefit. I'm doing all this because it's the least I could do, and because you _deserve it._ "

I had the sudden horrifying idea that perhaps Homura _wasn't_ faking this for my benefit, that this wasn't a pretence to ensure that her ally would remain compliant. For a moment, I wondered exactly just how much had happened during our previous Social Linking- just what had changed? "But doesn't this seem… excessive?"

"Theo… you're an idiot sometimes." The girl sighed. "You have literally _died for me_ in the past. You've sacrificed a hell of a lot to help me. Quite frankly, throughout this whole timeloop business you are the only person that has always been on my side. Who has never _once_ turned on me. Even those friends from my first timeline… they're more likely to be enemies to me now than they are to be allies. But not you. Someone that's seen all the terrible things I've done to try and finally _end this_ … and that still says dumb jokes and tries to keep my spirt up, even as we watch the world fall apart. I learned to cook this because… well… you're a friend."

 _You're a friend_. Now- that hit me. "A friend. Oh."

"Yeah. Oh." She gestured to the food. "Now, would you care to dive in?"

"Now I feel like a twat." I admitted, prodding the pasta with my fork. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Homura said. "This is hard for both of us. I keep losing you, and you need to keep having to find me. To start from scratch. So even it feels a little awkward, please accept my actions for what they are."

"I'll try to." I promised. "Future!Me is already proving me wrong. 'Trust Homura'. You know what you're doing."

"I wish." She laughed. "Now seriously, eat your stupid pasta."

"Pasta is anything but stupid!" I declared defiantly, needing little more prompting to begin twirling my fork. "In a past life, I surely had the blood of Roma!"

Homura rolled her eyes, and I got a sense of familiarity from the whole thing. As if she'd done that very motion so many times to me that it was ridiculous. There was a casualness about the whole thing. For the moment, I put all thoughts of timelooping and world-hopping to one side. Because here and now, I was enjoying myself reacquainting myself with a stranger over a deliciously nostalgic meal.

XXXXXXXXXX

 **Day 30**

"Well, here we are." Homura gestured to a rather nondescript portion of the subway wall.

"This the gateway?" I clarified, scrutinising it. "I mean, not that I doubt you, but this part of the wall looks exactly the same as every other bit of it. I couldn't imagine that finding the exact area would be easy, especially when you're looking for one crack in one brick amongst thousands.

"No. This is definitely it." As if to reiterate her point, she leant forwards and pressed two fingers against one particularly straight crack. Quietly, the crack expanded and the portal formed.

"Wait- other people can open the gateway?"

"Only once you've opened it." She explained. "I've tried entering before your arrival, but I've had no luck. Still, this is it, and to find it you look for _this_." A kick against the wall- below her foot was a single, sprouting weed. And beside it, a carefully placed coin.

Then, the gate snapped shut. Time limit and what not. "Well, at least this is definitely the spot."

"I've had enough time to memorise it, put it that way." She casually shrugged. "Anyway, before you enter, there is probably one thing I should mention."

"Nightmares?"

"Nightmares." She agreed. "We didn't get around to talking about them last night, and I know that you really want that knowledge."

"I didn't press." I admitted.

"Well, I'll tell you now. Nightmares are manifestations very similar to what you describe as Shadows, while also being not too dissimilar to a 'Shadow Self'." She mimed the air quotes. "Not quite the dark manifestation of things that people hide, but something else. They're something that everyone who enters the Labyrinth has… except for you." She corrected herself. "But the one thing we do know is that they're tied to _fears_."

"Fears? How so?"

"When people enter the Labyrinth… well, the best way to explain it is that the Labyrinth _changes_." She shuddered a little bit. "Out of the corner of your eye, a motion where there shouldn't be any, a sound that _shouldn't be there_. The longer you spend, the greater the feeling. Then at about the five-minute part, the change is finished. And the Labyrinth gets a new 'coat of paint', as it were."

"Ummm… literally or metaphorically?"

"Metaphysically." She instead puts forward, a distant look in her eyes. As if reliving something she'd seen. "It… shifts. Changes tone, twists, distorts. For me, when I go there… I hear a clock. Tick, tock. And the gears turn, the hands wind back and everything repeats again and again and again as sand falls down and slowly begins to pile up…"

"And the Nightmare?" I pressed her, eager to get this out of the way. Homura… she looked really shaken.

"The Nightmare is the arena and the arena _is_ the Nightmare. It takes on a form. Something you fear… that you fear about yourself. And then it kills you."

I sighed. "Sounds about par the course. How… how did you learn this?"

"Early on, before you knew about the Nightmares. You ended up bringing me here to try and lead me to another world, we thought maybe we needed outside context allies…"

"We died, didn't we?" I guessed.

"You did." She corrected. "My Nightmare… she's bad. Even by the standards of Nightmares I've heard you talk about, she's bad."

I shuddered a little bit. "Ummm… how bad?"

"Really, _really_ bad." She told me, deathly serious. "There's a reason why I don't go in there anymore. I'm more a danger to you there than an asset."

"Unless… unless the Nightmare is conquered." I hypothesised. "You mentioned the Shadow Self… so in the past I probably told you about some of the past Persona users the Velvet Room inhabitants told me about. They accepted themselves, and their Shadows became their Personas in the process."

"Who could say?" The girl shrugged helplessly. "Not like we've ever succeeded at doing something like that. None of the other Nightmares you've ended up taking on there have ended with anything like that."

"I understand." That sucked- can't even bring anyone into the Labyrinth without terrible shit happening. The Nightmare… I can't help but feel like it's just one piece of a puzzle I can't put together. I can understand how they got their names, but why they appear, and how they relate to the Labyrinth… I have vague ideas, but nothing concrete. "Sucks that we don't know more, but you just have to roll with it."

"Exactly. So, with that, are you ready to speak to Igor?"

"I am." I was in desperate need for some advice, and he seemed like the first port of call.

"In that case, I'll wait here for you. Just come see me before you decide what to do." She told me, sitting down against the opposite wall.

I took a quick look back at her, before nodding and tapping the scar to trigger the appearance of the doorway. I stepped through into the Labyrinth, and immediately went to the next stop. The Velvet Room.

"You _have_ found yourself in an interesting predicament, haven't you Dreamer?" Igor rhetorically noted. "A closed timeloop, a bond that transcends time itself and a decision to make."

"I've already made my choice." I admitted. "I don't know if it's the right one or not, but there we go."

"It is the nature of man to doubt. Lay your fears upon us, perhaps we may be of assistance?" Lavenza suggested.

"I… I'm scared." That was the crux of it. "I feel overwhelmed. Number 14… no matter what I say, I've already lost 13 times in a row. No knowledge helped me; no power helped me. I lost."

"And?" Igor pressed, urging me to carry on.

"I don't know if I can win this." A defeatist outlook, but Madoka Magica was a system with a capital F Fate. No matter what Homura did, she literally couldn't save Madoka in the canon timeline. Each and every try on her end only worsened her fate. "Is it arrogance for me to think that I should be able to Row Row Fight The Powah and do the impossible?"

"Maybe. But humans can also do tremendous things. A mother may lift something impossible for her to lift for the sake of a child, and even the lowest probable chance still has _a_ chance."

"But this is fate." I countered.

"And you are not of their world." Igor countered harshly. "Your fate is your own. That is all that is sealed concerning your destiny- that by signing our contract you have taken responsibility for your actions and so therefore have the right to forge whatever future you can."

"Do I have a chance then?" My question was worded more as a demand. I was being too harsh by far- but I was terrified. I felt like I needed that reassurance.

"No Dreamer, I should ask you that." He snapped back. "Your destiny is your own, so walk the path you choose. Do not deliberate nor delay. If you believe that failure is your only outcome, then so shall that be. That is your decision."

My decision eh? I knew that. But was it wrong to seek an outside opinion? Some support, some reassurance? Maybe. I didn't speak, bringing my hands to my chin. I started to think, to ponder, to consider my actions.

"Nobody says I have to help Homura." I said to myself more than anything. "I don't owe her anything. Madoka's ending is more good than bad." Save for whatever it is that happens in the movie I never got around to watching. "If I wanted, I could just hop away and leave her to it."

"You could." Lavenza acknowledged. "You would be unable to escape the loop, however. You have entered it already, so therefore should the loop continue you will naturally _still_ be in it."

"On the one hand, it could be argued that there is no point in _not_ helping since I can't actually make proper progress until Hormura ends the loop." Progress would just keep getting reset. "Though on the other, the loop _will_ end eventually, whether I'm there or not. I could easily just leave Madoka alone and focus on the Labyrinth and I would eventually _have_ to be able to continue."

"Is that what you wish for?" Lavenza's tone was neutral.

"No." I denied that immediately. I was just playing Devil's Advocate, looking at both sides. "A possibility. But I don't want that."

"Well then, what do you want?"

"I don't know!" I threw up my hands, all but jumping out of my seat. "I want this stupid adventure to end. I want to reach the depths. I want the truth, and I want friends, and damn my bleeding heart too but I want to help Homura."

Lavenza's iconic smile returned to her features. "Was that so hard to admit?"

"Yes." I immediately replied. After all, I knew what could very well happen if I tried to help. It had happened 13 times before now. "But. I'm committed. I'm gonna give this next month my all. Maybe I'm delaying the inevitable, but I want to be there for Homura. She has faith in me, and if I want to get technical, a lot of my future Social Links are there too and liable to get shanked."

"You acknowledge that to pursue this matter would mean putting your explorations of the Labyrinth on the backburner? Your progress will likely all but halt if you do this." Igor pointed out.

"Don't go making me second guess myself." I warned him. At the end of the day, despite my terrible progress so far, I couldn't help but feel like the Labyrinth was something I could catch up on once the Madoka business ended. The Madoka stuff was a one-time thing though- there would be no dealing with it at a later date. Now or never.

"So, you have your course of action." Igor clapped his hands. "Now, let us see just how we can help you with your goal, shall we?"

XXXXXXXXXX

A peaceful air had settled over the Velvet Room. A resolution had been made, and now it was simply a matter of seeing that decision through. I once read somewhere that the act of making a decision itself can sometimes be more important than whatever the decision itself is- and perhaps they were right. I was certainly feeling better… though Lavenza brewing a pot of tea for us all was also probably a factor (still had no clue why Igor kept a kettle under his desk).

"Damn, that hits the spot." I sighed blissfully, cupping my mug and enjoying its warmth. I had no clue what the heck the type of tea this was, but just like most things in this room, it was ridiculously nostalgic.

"Feeling a little more refreshed?" Lavenza asked, eyes full of hope.

My thumbs up were the only answer I could offer. I was certainly feeling a little more chill- like the existential dread has briefly worn off. Briefly.

"I am glad, Dreamer. So, shall we converse?" Igor's smooth voice caused me to arch an eyebrow and put my mug to one side. Looked like break time was over.

"We probably should. We've got a long month ahead of us." And yes, it very much was _us_. Not just me and Homura against Fate itself, but also these two occupants of the Velvet Room. Because I could trust them to have my back and help me see my journey through to the end. No matter what the ending itself would be.

"Then before we begin discussing the newest branch in your journey, might we return the conversation to the Labyrinth?"

"What's there to discuss?" I'd already agreed to put that clusterfuck on pause until the timeloop ended.

"More than you would think. I fear I must correct the misplaced belief you have upon your progress. Tell me what you know of this Labyrinth?"

Was that a trick question? "I guess… well, where to begin? The Labyrinth is comprised of an unknown number of floors, with a consistent floor plan, and has some metaphorical connection to the human psyche." Inevitably it had to be for it to qualify as a Persona Adventure to begin with. "Shadows roam its floors, while the Grey Lady stalks the first floor and maybe all the others too."

"And?" Lavenza presses. I racked my brain to wonder what I was missing that I hadn't already stated. Then the new knowledge hit me- that which I'd only recently learned.

"Dreams." I said, and almost as soon as I said it, I knew it to be true. "There's always a theme to something like this, and I'll be damned if the Labyrinth isn't something more akin to the Labyrinth of _Dreams_."

It was almost silly that it had only taken this long for the idea to cement itself in my consciousness. But really, I was a little bit dumb. "I should have known as soon as you named me Dreamer, but the Nightmare clinched it. Though, who knows if the Nightmares really _are_ what their namesakes suggest?"

"An accurate summation." Igor acknowledged, spreading his palms as if saying 'there we go, was that so hard'. Deep in my heart, a flame that had been smouldering for awhile now reignited- bringing with it the advancement of my Fool Social Link to the second rank.

"About time." I muttered- though even with all the insight I'd gained so far as to the nature of the Labyrinth (of Dreams), I was still so far away from the truth of it. 2 out of 10- so much further to go.

"Bonds go both ways." Igor's words would have seemed to come out of nowhere to most, but I understood that he was simply answering unanswered questions. "You still don't quite seem to understand that. The Wild Card may help others on their journeys, but they in turn teach him lessons and push him forwards on his own. Without both sides seeking to move forwards, then the journey halts."

"Are you implying I've been limiting my own progress?" A scary thought.

"Unintentionally. Cannot be helped _too_ much. Homura Akemi shares a bond with you across time and space itself- but you cannot be expected to match such intensity of emotion after so little a time. The burdens of the Fortune Arcana rest on your shoulders for now- and it is on her to relieve them."

"That almost sounds like she's the one Social Linking _me_."

"She might as well be." Shrugged Lavenza. It was an odd thought to consider, that perhaps Homura was the one trying to drag me into a friendship/bond rather than the other way around.

"And the Fool?"

"Again, the burden is yours to begin moving forwards." Igor shook his head sadly. "The Fool represents not just the bond of 'Igor and Theo' but also 'the progress of Theo's journey'. Therefore, if one party feels that no progress is being made…"

"Then the Arcana will slow if only because I believe it will." I concluded. "My own self-doubt literally holds me back. I thought the info I gathered wasn't enough, and therefore it was. How very circular."

"Quite. The human psyche is rather fascinating, is it not?" Giggled the blonde girl. "Now, if only such doubt could be so easily removed."

I gave Igor a pointed eyebrow. "How much further ahead in our Arcana _should_ I be?"

A wry look in return. "What kind of journey would it be if I were to tell you so?"

"Cryptic bastard."

"The 'cryptic bastard' that isn't wrong." He countered. I didn't deny him that- it wasn't like him telling me that would actually change anything either. Even if he told me the info and progress I'd made should take me to rank X, it wouldn't really change my own thoughts about my journey. That knowledge wouldn't bring my journey any closer to its conclusion- therefore, only I could decide if I was making progress or not.

"My head hurts." I lamented. "Can we go back to the confusing timeloop please?"

Igor laughed. "Very well then. Let us aid you upon the most pressing point of the journey thus far. Dreamer. Give me your hand."

I was hesitant, but when the magic big-nose man tells you to do something, you do it. I offered him my right one to shake, and he grasped it tightly.

Then my head started to pound, my heart to thrum- it was a familiar sensation by now. The kinda feeling I associated with whenever something Persona-y was going down. Rank ups, new bonds, the summoning of my Persona… this sensation as running through my whole body. And I could feel something new- Igor gifting me something.

His hand left mine and I slumped- suddenly tired. "Dare I ask what happened this time?"

"One could say that I just gave you an 'advance' upon a talent you would no doubt develop naturally." The long-nosed entity cracked his knuckles. "A reward, in other words… albeit one I initially intended to present to you after a few more Social Links. However, based upon knowledge gleamed from a previous you, you shall soon make those bonds anyway. Thus, I saw no harm in offering you this early."

"And what is… this?" I gestured around, struggling to identify exactly what HAD changed. There was a buzzing, maybe? A tug. Another Persona-y thing at work. Like a… like a…

"Behold." He clenched his hand, and my mind almost seemed to explode. No- it was just overloaded. The best analogy I could suggest was a partially deaf man having his auditory abilities corrected… only to have a fog horn pressed right next to his head.

"I can… feel you." Yes- that's what it was. The Fool Arcana was burning bright and I could just _feel_ the connection between us. Before it had been a subtle thing- quiet save for its activation and the recent rank up. But now my mind was aware of the bond. I could feel it. That bond… and all my others.

"May the ability to sense the presence of your Social Links- present and future- aid you in your path."

Present _and_ future? Now- that was interesting. Because one thing I'd struggled with concerning the Social Links was _finding them_ to begin with. After all, who could say which random shmuck would end up with the job? Without a clear indication that _this_ NPC was different to the others, how would one know to try and pursue such a bond? Except now I inherently knew that if I found one of my potential bonds, I would _know_.

"Thanks Igor." My sincere gratitude was all I could offer for the valuable gift Igor had bequeathed me.

He waved my gratitude aside. "I am merely doing my duty. Now, with that, is there anything else this humble Velvet Room may do to aid you?"

"I don't know. Not right now." Presently, my mind was buzzing with possibility, and filled with all that I'd learnt. "But if I figure that out, you'll be the first to hear."

His smile was a patient one. "In that case then, I wish you the best of luck. While you shall have our support… you also have a herculean task ahead of you."

"It is our suggestion that you begin immediately." Lavenza bowed deeply.

I nodded in agreement, reaching for my still warm tea and taking one long, final chug- before slamming the empty mug back down on the table. Stand up, grab my sword, get my bag. "I'm off then."

And with no further words, I left the Velvet Room feeling just a little bit more confident about the path I would need to tread. This was still my problem… but it felt more manageable. _"And the first step of this path is to tie up all my loose ends before I dive into Madoka Magica. Time to tell Homura what I plan to do today. Namely, visit my other Social Links while I still can."_


End file.
